


The Ultimate Weapon

by theosymphany



Category: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse)
Genre: Canon Continuation, Character Death Fix, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Nivanfield, Post Resident Evil 6, Post-Canon Fix-It, Research, Romance, Sexual Content, faithful to gamelore and gameverse, science and technology, the most reasonable and scientific explanation of how Piers survived RE6
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-19
Updated: 2016-05-11
Packaged: 2018-04-05 00:11:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 38
Words: 137,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4158246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theosymphany/pseuds/theosymphany
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>'The Last Weapon' is the title of a cutscene in RE6 where Infected!Piers was the subject. There has never been a satisfactory explanation why that cutscene was named as such.</p><p>The questions are answered in 'The Ultimate Weapon'- the ultimate Piers Nivans rescue and rebuild fanfic.  Drawing heavily, and relating as closely as possible upon game lore and data files, this fanfiction explores the events Post RE6 towards the recovery of Piers and his significance in righting the many wrongs of Carla Radames and exploring the many open plot holes left unanswered in the game.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Planned Vengeance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Resident Evil/Biohazard and characters belong to Capcom and respective copyright holders. I do not claim to have ownership of characters or the original plotline of Resident Evil 6.  
> This novel is a transformative work of fiction and is written not for profit and should not be rehosted/ reposted/ sold anywhere but archiveofourown.org in whole or part without the expressed written consent of the author.  
> Some snippets of game files are included for clarification and summary and I have noted where these take place. Plagiarism is not intended. Other end of chapter files are original content.  
> Universe views, character/ canon interpretations and continuation are my own based on the Resident Evil universe and I do not claim endorsement or representation by Capcom or its writers.
> 
> Enjoy the story!

_30th June, 2013, 2245 hours._  
_Vinci Medical Facility at Waiyip, China_

“Freeze!”

Damnit, she was so close. For once her usual composure and mastered control over the situation had unravelled, starring down the guns of Chris Redfield and Piers Nivans.  She’d only known the pair too well, having first encountered them at Marhawa Academy, then in the town hall of Edonia, and now in China. The BSAA have good sniffer dogs, she’d give them that, and Chris Redfield was always the one to show up. Deep down she’d grown fond of their little game. Where is the joy of world domination without a little power struggle? It gave her indescribable thrills to let the BSAA get close, so close to putting everything right, and then yank the carpet off their feet and watch them stumble, and fail. Just her type of entertainment. It was getting too boring after all at the top, she’s fast running out of enemies, and the other Ada Wong still hasn’t shown herself. She was almost disappointed things went so easily.

She contemplated for a moment shooting her C-virus gun. She would definitely get at least one of them but she’d be shot by the other. No, she couldn’t risk it. She couldn’t let her perfect plan fall to ruin.

She delighted in the turn of events when another pair of agents busted out of the facility, and curled her lips watching the blonde DSO agent tackle the hulking BSAA captain even as their partners were distracted at each other. This was her chance.

“No, it wasn’t her. It was Simmons, the National Security Advisor.”

She laughed at that name. Good old Simmons, finally falling to a ruin under his own work. Tall Oaks was a joke, a happy coincidence that provided the perfect distraction to turn her plans in China to fruition. She couldn’t ask for a better time and date for her old boss and new adversary.

“And you’re still going to protect this woman?”

“I am.”

Leon had a thing for Ada. Always did. She smiled. Perhaps it wasn’t so bad to play damsel in distress once in a while.

She held the flashbang grenade and silently dropped it at her feet. There’s her escape ticket.

“Freeze! Damnit!”

That young BSAA partner had the eyes of a hawk alright.  She dashed through the night and narrowly recovered from the trail of bullets.  She had a feeling that Piers would never have missed. Perhaps he had respected his Captain’s wishes all along.

She climbed into her Porsche and signalled for her J’avo minions to take out any pursuers. She just needed 15 minutes or so to get to the carrier, and from there, everything would soon be in place. She will launch Plan A once she’s in the clear. Plan B had already been in place. She will code in the motions of Plan D, and with that distraction execute Plan C. Simmons’s order, Simmon’s world would end.  She would rule in his stead.

She smiled at her perfect plan. She couldn’t help but think over how perfectly intertwined the activities were and it gave her a thrill like no other to finally move it to action.

A shower of bullets sprayed behind her Porsche.  She checked her mirror.  The jeep was roaring closer and closer with Piers at the wheel, and Chris Redfield was spraying her with barrages form the mounted machine gun turret. Like everything else the old captain was good at, he was good at missing every single shot.

She swerved, and put the handling of the Porsche to good use as she darted through the many obstacles and windy alleys of Waiyip. Let’s see the jeep match that level of handling.

She turned into the tunnel, seeing five cars of her men following her.  That should be enough of a distraction.  She could hear the sounds of fire bombs being tossed on the road.  Let’s hope Chris runs into some of those on his way.

With the winds cutting like blades to her face, the Porsche cleared onto the highway to the military port and for a moment it seemed she lost her attackers.  She made haste, the carrier was undocking any minute and she couldn’t afford to waste any more time.

Clink clink clink clink clink.

The annoying cloud of bullets had almost hit her car again as her pursuers appeared out of nowhere.  The Porsche roared in power on the open straight and she could see Chris at the wheel doing the same, trying to get closer and closer.  She could even see the tightly furrowed brows and scowl on his face.  He was her loyal suitor alright. Strong, and tough, and yet always still failing. The BSAA’s top agent was still a man child in her eyes. Still, she wouldn’t mind locking him up, strapping him down and having some personal fun time with the guy. He’s earned that chasing her all this way around the globe and back.

The shape of the carrier filled her vision and she could see it had almost finished undocking.  She floored the accelerator and cleared the docks at the last second as the Porsche rolled into the hanger.  Take that boys.

No sooner had she parked and took off than she heard the crash of the jeep doing the same. They never give up, do they?

Nevermind, they’ll never find her in the carrier.

She clutched her briefcase containing the last two prized, precious vials for her plan to be in motion as she ran towards her target.

The Enhanced C-virus.

The perfect vector.

Locking her exit behind her with a wall of concrete bulkhead, she sat at the control room when she received confirmation that her gift had been delivered to Simmons.  She smirked sadistically. She’d want him to stick around to witness his Family’s undoing. They’d gone too far to deprive each other of their woes so soon.

It was time to make her announcement.

“I’m just giving you exactly what you gave me, Simmons. At first you’ll be afraid, but don’t worry. You’re just becoming the monster you always were. You and everyone else on the planet. You and your Family may have shaped the world into what it is today, but starting tomorrow, it’s all going to change.” Honestly, exactly was a stretch. Her gift was far more potent and powerful. A vector that didn’t just change the identity of a man, but his prowess and physiology. Best of all, it gave her domination over the subject. Simmons would grovel at her feet, and she’ll kick him in the face again and again when she is ever in the mood.

She had a vial at her hip, ready for her own transformation in a moment, and the last vial was in the briefcase. She just needs to get it to Subject C, and if she timed it right, she’ll have everything she wanted soon.

Her perfect world. Her perfect transformation. The Ultimate Weapon.

She finished locking down the missiles and gave them firing codes to set Plan D into motion.  Thinking of Chris and Piers on the prowl, she programmed in a failsafe for the missile targeted at Tatchi. Not point letting them get so close to Plan C if she couldn’t see them try, and fail hopelessly one last time.

“Ada!” For the second time today she had been cornered unexpectedly by the two BSAA agents.  They were fast catching up to her.

“Still haven’t had enough, huh? Even after losing all your men- again? With your track record, I gotta say, I’d hate to be a member of your team, Chris.” She didn’t have many options at this point, trapped with nowhere to go, but she isn’t one to give up. She sneered at him, watching the failure written all over his face as memories resurfaced.

“Don’t listen to her Captain!” Ever the loyal lieutenant, not knowing his time was fast counting down the longer he stood with Chris Redfield.

“But where are my manners? I mean, really, I should be thanking your men for being such good test subjects.” She toyed with her dart gun. Perhaps she can take out Chris, or take out Piers and let him watch again, powerless as the young agent transforms into yet another abomination.

BANG.

His aim was good, she’d give him that. She flicked her wrist at the pain and shock of having her dart gun shot out of her hand.

“Ever since Edonia, all I’ve wanted is to see you dead. But this isn’t about vengeance, it’s about justice. It’s over, Ada.”

“You’re right, it is. The aircraft carrier is preparing for launch.” Her plan is equal parts vengeance and justice, directed to Derek Simmons.

“Launch?”

She couldn’t resist but give him a glimpse of what will unfold in the next minutes, and to watch him realise with soul crushing emasculation that there was nothing he could do to stop her, again.

“And the dead will flood the streets. Déjà vu, boys- Raccoon City revisited. But this time, it won’t be just one city. It’ll be the whole world!” At least twenty cities around Asia-Pacific would be targeted and the airborne virus will result in devastating infection across the major population centers.  In the resultant chaos, activation of Plans A and C would ensure her complete dominance over the sector, with Plan B as her safeguard for Neo Umbrella.  In case anything does go wrong, the rest of Plan D would activate.  In all events, total worldwide destruction. Glorious destruction, and she will be crowned Queen over the damned planet.

She heard the strange chopper behind her, and as she turned she saw the sniper and members of the Family watching her. Wait! No!

She felt the searing pain as she took the shot in her heart. Damn the Family. Damn Simmons. Good thing she had a failsafe.  She drew the needle from her hip and plunged the vial into her breast.  Plan A begins now.

Either way, it’s been a fun ride.

“You got me. Well played, but no one can stop it now…” Plan D will activate as soon as she turns. She will recover with Plan A and continue with Plan C. Yet, she didn’t have the last vial anymore.

She panicked as she realised nothing was happening from the virus.  No. She couldn’t have developed immunity.  It was specifically targeted to work on her! It was too soon to go! I am Carla Radames.  I am Ada Wong, this can’t fail on me!

Her conscience battled her indoctrination as the two halves of her identity wreaked havoc over her mind.  Her body fell backwards and landed on the runway with a thud. Red crimson splattered over the ground like the lost petals of a fallen rose. It was over.

Ada Wong was dead.

* * *

 

_30th June, 2013, 2329 hours  
Neo Umbrella Underwater Facility_

Ada Wong's death confirmed.  
Executing Plan D.  
Initializing Haos awakening procedures.  
Progress of metamorphosis: 70.3%  
Lower body still incomplete.  
Plan will not be affected.

* * *

 

"Damnit! What the hell just happened?" The young lieutenant said, eyes widened at the Captain over the turn of events, and the last revelation of their adversary.

Piers and Chris were in shock. Just when they had everything under control all their objectives have been shifted.  They were just about to capture Ada Wong, and there she was, shot dead right in front of them.  Piers bent down and checked the case she had, hoping it had a hint of he plans. It did, but not for the plans they needed to stop right this minute.

“This looks like a different strain. There are two missing.” He picked up the white metallic vial and studied the red contents. A new type of C-virus injector. Just who was this meant for?

“Just take what’s left. We’ll bring it back to HQ for analysis.”

There was no more time to think. They need to find a plane.  The world was going to hell in moments.

* * *

 

**End of Chapter bonus file:**

[ ](http://imgur.com/20aTna2)

'The Last Weapon' is the title of a cutscene in RE6 highlighting the conversation between Infected!Piers and Chris Redfield. There has never been a satisfactory explanation why that cutscene was named as such. The reasons for the designation, of course, will be explored in this story, which looks into major events building for the next Resident Evil Installment.

Despite the name, I felt that 'The Ultimate Weapon' was a more fitting translation to the Japanese title, because it implied the last not just in the sense of finality, but power that made all others obsolete.


	2. False Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning. Major character injury.  
> One final objective before they call it a day and lick their wounds in peace.  
> Get out of here before the place collapses. Survive. Together.

_1 st July, 2013, 0400 hours.  
Neo Umbrella Underwater Facility._

Three years of adventuring with the Legendary Chris Redfield.

Hundreds of successful operations big and small across the globe.

Dozens of times he and his captain had woken up in hospital from their injuries, dozens of times they paid their last respects to a dear departed soldier who gave their all in the line of duty.

Six months and three days since the two were almost forever torn on that fateful mission in Edonia. 

One day since his reunion with the man who was at once a fearless pursuer of vengeance and a hollow shell of his respected and trustworthy captain. 

Twelve hours since their arrival and fighting began in Waiyip.

Five hours since their failure to stop the infection in the city of Tatchi.

Minutes since they had just stopped the global annihilation threat that threatened all of humanity.

One final objective before they call it a day and lick their wounds in peace.

Get out of here before the place collapses. Survive.

Together.

Even as they ran Piers knew he was far too optimistic.  Segments of their tunnel were already in the process of being sealed and caving in from the enormous pressure of the ocean, yet their race against time was not their only threat. He and Chris had outran many disastrous situations before, but he felt an unease in the depths of his soul.

The pair came to a halt as their undying nemesis once again materialised before them, punching out entire sections of the tunnel to cut off their escape. What is it going to take to bring that thing down?

“Captain, I’ll hold it off, go!” He shot round after round precisely at the translucent fingers of the giant hand, letting his Captain dash ahead to the gate before following through.  The sounds of rushing water and collapsing metal screamed in their ears as yet another section fell off to the depths of the ocean.

The tunnel pointed upwards as the pair had to climbs on all fours towards the next gate.  Piers made it up with all his strength, his heart skipping a beat seeing Chris was still struggling his way up.

“I’ve got the gate Captain, hurry!” He was straining with all his might against the narrowing gap, using every ounce of strength and will to stop the gate from sealing.  He had to keep this open.  He felt his loins surged with strength he didn’t think he had fighting the door just so Chris could get through.  He sighed with relief as Chris finally slid his way through, and Piers rolled into the gap, panting in exhaustion at the sudden onset of fatigue.  His arms were shaking uncontrollably, and his back ached. 

“Go on Chris, I’m—“

BANG.

Suddenly the gate broke as the oversized, despised, translucent limb came crashing through.  It missed Piers by an inch, but he could see it was going to get Chris…

“Noooooo!” His exhaustion forgotten, he gave a yell and threw his weight against Chris to get him out of harm’s way. They need Chris.  The BSAA needs Chris.  He’d grown increasingly concerned since coming down from the elevator- Chris said he wanted to hand in his gun. Chris provoked Jake into almost killing him.  Chris threw himself at Haos time after time seeking solace in sacrifice. It was tearing Piers apart, it wounded him in body and spirit.  This was Edonia all over again.  Chris was walking away from his call.  His memories.  From him. He couldn’t spare the time to get into the Captain’s head anymore, but he knew Chris was feeling serious survivor guilt. He couldn’t let this be. He didn’t trek six months across hell only to lose the man he had so painstakingly found and was in the process of rebuilding. He’ll bring him back, even if it’s the last thing he’d do.

His thoughts were still only of Chris as he felt his feet left the ground. Then he felt unspeakable pain from his right arm as the fingers gripped tightly and flailed him around like he was a ragdoll. He couldn’t help but let out a pain laden scream.  He felt as if his flesh and bones were turning to mush, and there was no sensation except white hot searing pain everywhere. His limb didn’t feel like it was his anymore.

“Piers!!” Chris turned, and sprayed a barrage of shots at the fingers for it to release Piers.  It did, but he watched in horror as the body of his lieutenant was flung high from the gate smashed straight to the back of the room, crashing heavily onto the corrugated iron and falling helplessly onto the sharp edges of the wreckage of exposed sheet metal.  He saw a massive spray of blood as Piers’ arm caught on a jagged edge of metal and he slumped on the ground, immobilised in pain.  His heart lurched in his throat as he heard the resultant scream from the barely conscious Piers, and for a moment he wished he took the hit in his place. He’s heard that scream only too many times on the battlefield. It was the cry of grievous injury that any commander dreaded. Piers did not deserve that injury.

“Piers!!” He turned and ran towards his wounded partner, hoping he was still alright, hoping he could still get both of them out of there. Piers didn’t sign up for this.  He needed to get out of here.  He didn’t spend three years training and grooming and entrusting his future to Piers for nothing. He had resigned himself to his fate, but Piers was not part of that plan. Piers needed to lead the BSAA in his stead. He would carry on and do what he no longer believed he was capable of doing. In time he’ll be a greater captain, one who would never let his team down time after time…

He heard the sound of debris hurled in his direction and he dodged to the right, but his relief at the narrow escape was short lived as he watched again in horror seeing the metal crashed right over Piers’ trapped right arm and erupting in a shower of blood.

Piers screamed until his voice was hoarse.  Crushed, impaled, and now almost dismembered.  He thought he felt the bones in his arm crack and shatter into pieces, and he could feel the warm blood bleeding profusely out of his shoulder, onto his sides, his legs, his chest.  He slumped to the floor, immobilised by the steel, immobilised by pain, by panic, by the thought that he was about to die. His heart rate was rising fast from the panic, from the adrenaline, from trying to cope with the reduced volume of blood in his body.  He could smell the salt of the sea, the stink of cold hard metal, the iron from his blood that sprayed all over his sides and the walls. The heavy metal had totally crushed and pinned his now useless arm. The dying limb was stiffening and turning cold from the lack of blood and his mind had finally started to block out the searing pain that coursed through his body.  He still needed to stay awake. Chris needs to get out of here. His side was getting warmed and warmer as the blood spread and his body was getting colder and colder. He was bleeding out fast.

His last vestige of optimism was cruelly crushed when he saw Haos reach out and almost too easily caught Chris in his oversized palm. It was the last sight he wanted to see.  His sacrifice would have been for naught if Haos got Chris too. He was in agony, in pain and anguish from his wounds and impending death, and in further pain and anguish in every fibre of his soul watching the one he’d admire so much join him on death’s doorstep. He’d go anywhere with the Captain, all except the valley of death to which he was already summoned. 

Chris had taken two steps but it was already too late. He struggled as he felt his body crushed and grabbed by Haos.  He wanted to break out, but Haos had pinned his right arm by his sides. There was nothing he could do.  He tried to bash the limb with his free left fist, but for once his impressive strength was useless against the hunkering monstrosity that easily rose 50 feet tall even without its lower appendages.  The soft jelly like skin had absorbed some of its crushing force but Chris could still feel his breath being steadily choked out of him. If it wasn’t for the tough boron carbide ceramic plates in his tactical vest he would have been gone.  It was like dying at the hands of Wesker at the mansion. It was like being crushed again by the camouflaged serpent that claimed almost all his team. Yet even in his predicament he couldn’t even think about himself.  He watched the blood stained tan coloured figure of his lieutenant and protégé on the ground. He owed Piers his life, not the other way around. Piers was family.  Piers was his saviour. Piers was his future. He couldn’t bear to lose him. He prayed so hard he was ok. He needed Piers to survive. He hated this soul ripping feeling.  Of watching lives and futures destroyed.  It was a heartache he’d only known too well. He could feel the overlapping memories burn his mind as he finally recalled with clarity all of the episodes and disappointment of those he had doomed.

He was suffocated by his nemesis Albert Wesker, who easily lifted his bulky frame with one arm, tightening the death grip while echoes of his laughter filled the mansion.  He was inches from death when he caught the determined look of his partner Jill who took a running leap, freed Chris out of Wesker’s grip and threw them both down a sheer cliff drop. He watched helplessly as they both vanished from his vision down the tall dark abyss.

His partner Sheva Alomar letting go of the moving jet thousands of feet above the ground even as Wesker held on to her boot, prepared to sacrifice her life to rid the world of the self-deluded monster.

Their loss of Far East branch’s best agent, Merah Biji who put herself in the way of a fatal stab to save Piers just minutes before they took off from the biohazard outbreak at Marhawa Academy.

His helplessness and despair watching Finn, Andy, Carl, Ben turned to chrysalids in front of their eyes.

His failure as a leader that lead to Marco and the entire Bravo team- Keaton, Reid, Jeff and the others being divided and conquered by Carla and her monstrous creations.

If Piers didn’t bother to shove him out of the way… he’d be uninjured… he’d be fine, he could get out of there and get others to help finish Haos off.

He hated himself for causing all this pain and loss.  He hated others who believed he was someone special worth dying for.  He was not.  They were far more important.  He wished death would just claim him instead.

And he finally got his wish.  Haos had taken him, he was moments from being crushed into a pulp, and still there was nothing he could still do nothing for his successor, the one man whom over the last 24 hours had suddenly meant even more to him than his own wellbeing and existence. Like Piers said. Irony.  Everyone else’ sacrificed ensured his own survival.  His own sacrifice did nothing except cause Piers more pain.

Nothing except watch, feel the increasing pressure around his sides, and watch his lieutenant slowly bleed out on the impaled metal. Watch as the blood started to mingle with the salty sea water that pooled into the tunnel, turning the puddle into a red pond. Chris Redfield was a failure. Coming back to China was a failure. Being persuaded to Captain Alpha Team was a failure. Piers was dying and so was he. Because he failed himself, he failed his partner. He failed hours before to stop a biohazard outbreak that claimed an entire city. His failure now will allow a biohazard outbreak to claim the world.

Piers couldn’t see clearly anymore. The panic of cold sweat, the tears and blood in his eyes from all the pain, the weariness in his body and the fuzziness of his mind as he bled out.  His captain was a blurred figure of green in the translucent hand of white. His head drooped heavy from the weight, catching the reflection of the water, but his sharp eye still caught one detail that was out of place.

An injector. The metallic tube glowed with an inviting red and white. The colours of Neo Umbrella.  It was the special vial of C-virus agent Ada Wong carried on her. C-virus. Power. Regeneration. Life beyond death. Could he?

He willed his hazy mind into decision even as it wanted to fade away. He forced himself to stay conscious even as his mind started seeing the invitation of warm, peaceful white light that promised freedom and peace. No. He remembered his Captain. He remembered the man who meant more than anything to him from the beginning.

He was going to do it. It was his only hope. Let his future be damned.

He summoned the last fragment of strength he had, giving a mighty push with his legs and ripped himself free. His shoulder caught on the metal but he pushed anyway, and suddenly he was freed as he fell face down in his puddle of blood and sea water. The warm blood on his side mingled with the cold, unforgiving sea water on the ground and he was soaked through in shock.  The salt stang his wound and he would have screamed if he had the energy.  It was good that his brain no longer felt pain. He didn’t want to check what the damage was on his arm. He couldn’t feel it or move it anymore. It was just a foreign, cold appendage that he had to drag around, that slowed him down.

He pushed with his legs, forcing his body to move just like he did in all his survival exercise from the Special Forces. One step after another. He crawled with his one good arm. A few more steps. Almost there. Keep going. Keep going.

His hand grasped the syringe, and his heart pounded at the momentous decision. He saw his humanity, his pride, his mission flash before his eyes. He had spent all his life fighting bioorganic weapons and infected humans. Now he was about to become one of them. In the depth of his heart he wished there was another solution, that there was someone else who could help, Jake and Sherry perhaps, but all he could hear was the seawater rushing in, and the crumbling noises of the facility caving in from damage. There was no last minute hero to save the day. It was just all down to him.

He rolled onto his back, panting, trembling with fear, wanting to look into the warm brown eyes of the man he held dear, hoping for a sign of confirmation. Instead he saw the man slumped from exhaustion and shortage of breath. His Captain was in danger of passing out.

I need my arm back.

I need my strength to shoot.

I need to kill Haos.

_I need to stay in control._

_I need to save Chris._

He raised the vial high, and jammed it into the wretched remains of his right arm.

Nothing happened. Just the gasping groans of his dying captain, the sharp sneers of the hideous captor, the salty seawater burning at the wounds on his arm.

The virus didn’t work.

There was no hope left.


	3. Greater Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> PIers! Don't do this! Open the door! T_T

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greater love has no one than this; that one lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13

I need to save Chris.

For a moment he thought that was it. The virus didn’t work, but suddenly he felt a strange glow in his being as his body shuddered with new strength. New power, but also new pain. He rose to his feet at the surge of energy, and felt the most foreign sensation as the cold and useless limb suddenly became hot and a new appendage grew in its place. He dropped his gun at the shock. He felt the skin of his shoulder and side blister and tear to make room for the musculature and he peered at the limb, a monstrosity of bone, veins, sinew and muscle that looked nothing like human.

No matter. I just need to shoot.

He panicked when he realised he could no longer wield a gun.

He needed to shoot damnit!

He raged, and his thoughts burned pure hatred at Haos. He needed to shoot him. How was he meant to fight the towering monster? With the depths of rage and anguish he felt power build forth from his new limb, the temperature grew hotter as if a pulse was about to escape. He pointed the tip of his limb right at the hideous translucent face, and channelled the surge of anger and hatred forth.

“Ahhhhhh” He screamed with the fury of his life’s disappointment as blue searing thunder arced onto his rival. He laughed sadistically as unspeakable pain surged through both Haos’ body and his own. Yet he spared no concern for his own pain. He’d been through so much he no longer cared. What mattered was that the captain is freed.

“Piers, are you alright?” The warm voice still rang in his ear, and it was the comfort that he needed. That his Captain had not shunned him, that he was not banished for his decision, that Chris was free, and conscious. _That he was still himself._

He breathed relief when he saw Chris stagger around to him. Haos was pinned by the gate, unable to reach any further towards them. They were safe, for the moment.

The voice of the compound’s AI rang out in alert. “Pressure abnormality detected. Sealing all doors. Depressurisation initialised.” Chris had activated the door to the next part of the compound, but they were trapped for now due to Haos blocking the door. They needed time. Piers looked around, looking for an alternative route, but he saw that Haos was tearing himself free from the door. It was now rushing towards the pair.

“Piers we have to fight it, try to stay in control!” Chris’ reassuring voice rang, and Piers snapped into place as his training as a soldier kicked back in. It was an order. He’ll stay in control. He’ll fight it. He knew he could now.

He drew the attention of the monster as he ran with a staggered, pain laden gait while Chris looked for a plan and checked for anything that could help. The obstructed gate had finally sealed shut. The AI controls started a countdown for depressurisation.

“Come back here you son of a bitch.” He yelled at the monster as it dared to go after Chris. He raised the limb, and as his anger burned he again shot white hot lightning into the hated face. He winced in pain from the surge of electricity, but he could tell it had a far stronger effect on the monster. He took a breath, charged up another attack and shot it with all his might.

“Arrrrhhhh”. He yelled as the pain overtook his body, and he sighed in relief as Chris pumped his shotgun shells into the exposed organs in its back. The BOW wriggled in discomfort and hardened to a Chrysalid. It was trying to regenerate.

Piers took the moment to recover from his pain. He could feel the weakness from loss of blood withdrawing as his body regenerated from the damage, where new blood, new power flowed through his veins. He still had no stamina, but he knew he’d have enough strength to fight this thing, and he was surprised to find no loss in control either. In fact, if anything, his mind was racing ahead with greater potential, sensation and control than he’d known.

Feeling the power and command of his new arm, he shot arc after arc of lightning, paralysing the monster while Chris stabbed his hunting knife into its organs time after time. Haos didn’t relent, and regenerated back to chrysalid form multiple times, but it was shrinking, and taking more and more time to regenerate now, whereas Piers was getting more and more used to his new powers. He no longer felt powerless. He felt powerful. He felt even more powerful than Haos, the supposed ‘greatest bioweapon’ titled apostle of chaos that Ada Wong developed herself.

The monster erupted once again from its cocoon, trying to swipe a tentacle at him and the captain, but he was faster. He didn’t finch as lightning burned Haos’ every extended appendage and shocked the monster into submission. He surged forward in power and grinned with a twisted sense of justice as he blasted the tentacles apart. Serves it right. You break my limb, I’ll break yours.

Still, the BOW was tenacious and devious. Climbing up and down, trying to escape from Piers. Piers barely had his back turned when he saw Chris sideswiped by an extended tentacle and he fell face down into the water.

Piers’ heart leapt in his chest as he saw the tentacle wrap itself around Chris and pulled it towards itself.

“Captain! He unleashed all of the bioelectricity he could towards Haos to tear the limb apart, and they both collapsed. Haos gave a shriek and darted backwards, finally letting Chris go, and Piers fell to his knees in pain, trying to get up, but instead groaning in weakness, feeling as if he shot his own life’s essence with that discharge. He laid in the water, willing for his strength to return before Haos did, but he panicked when instead his mind was assaulted with fatigue.

“Piers!” He felt the Captain’s strong arms pulling him up, and he stood back up in Chris’ arms. “Piers, are you alright?” The Captain’s palm gripped strongly on his shoulder, hoping that he was still ok. Still trying to offer whatever bit of strength he could to his shattered lieutenant.

Piers forced himself to pull it together. “I’ll be fine, Captain.” He took a staggered step forward, and stretched out his arms, guarding Chris behind his own body. “Haos will have to get through me first.”

Chris felt a pang of emotion in his heart seeing the tortured shape of Piers in front of him. He had to be in so much pain, but Piers was still summoning every last bit of strength he had to guard him, to keep him from harm at his own expense. The pain fraught, hunched form of Piers in his eyes stood tall as the mythical Colossus in Chris’ eyes, the stalwart guardian standing with bravery and valour to slay anyone daring to harm his captain.

“Piers... I’m not worth it…” If only he was truly the man Piers had wanted him to be, the one that makes everything worthwhile.

“I’ll handle this.. Captain…” The pain in his voice was still evident, but there was no limit to the Lieutenant’s resolve.

Piers discharged another pulse, keeping his arc of bioelectricity going as the creature stay paralysed, and gave a look to Chris. Haos was struggling to break free, and Piers rammed forward, extended and pierced his mutant arm right inside the jelly like core of the monster. He took a deep breath, and his arm glowed with blue white lighting as it paralysed and attacked Haos from within. He felt the limb quiver on its own as it drank in the power of the BOW. It was as if the limb was sucking out Haos’ lifeforce and transferring it to himself. He shot a pained look at Chris, and as he nodded his understanding, Chris thrust his combat knife right into the exposed organ of the slimy monster and twisted it around. The monster convulsed violently and spasmed mightily over Piers’ arm, almost threatening to tear the limb off, but Piers grit his teeth and withstood the pain, channelling the bioelectricity field to combat the convulsions. Haos gave a final squeeze and it weakened, losing the tension in his appendages and fell into a mash of mush and slime. They had done it. Haos was dead again. Hopefully for the last time.

He groaned as the energy of the limb surged and crackled on its own, feeling a pain in his face as the renewed power spread beyond his arm to extend across the right half of his torso, his face. He felt a layer of slime cover his right eye and it bothered him. He was a sniper, he needed his vision. He needed to see with every detail. He felt his forehead glow and burn as a line opened across his face. He grunted in pain and discomfort, and despair. He needed his humanity, and he bargained with the entity for the mutations to stop. He was looking less and less human each passing second. He silently pleaded with himself to stay in control, to not be any more disfigured than he was for Chris’ sake.

“Come on, just stay with me, you’re gonna be ok!” The warm, calm voice of his Captain offered just the dose of reassurance he needed. Chris hadn’t spoken like that since regaining his memories, but for now, the real Chris Redfield seemed to be back. The Chris Redfield who looked out for and valued his men. Who would do all he could to make sure each made it home. He caught the gaze of regret, of pain, of pity in the eyes of the man he loved, and he felt ashamed, that of all his excellence and brilliance and achievements, he would be remembered in the rest of his short life as mutant, a monster, one unworthy to be part of the proud BSAA.

He desperately wanted to explain why he needed to do it. Chris had never shown empathy to a BOW. He hated them with a burning passion. He didn’t want the hatred of his captain, yet he didn’t want his pity either. It was his choice. He would pay the price of redemption for both their sins a thousand times over.

“I’m sorry… Captain…” He grunted and gritted his teeth, fighting the pulses of his arm for control, gathering his thoughts, daring himself to speak his mind, while he still had his mind.

“… I did it… for the BSAA… for the future…” No, he couldn’t tell him. Not now when he was at this regrettable state. He is nothing but a burden now. It was far from the whole truth, but it was enough. He had never held back telling Chris just what he felt about his decision and actions, but today, this truth shall stay with him, because he was no longer worth it.

_I did it… for you… I would do anything for you…_

“I know, you did a real good thing” Piers felt his heart break in two as Chris rested his palm on the back of his head. Chris had not recoiled at the touch. He looked right into his mismatched eyes, to the horrors of his face and body, but Piers read no hint of fear or disgust. Chris looked at him as he always did back in the days, with sincerity, with value, with care, with… love.

_He still cared for me like he always did._

“As long as you--” he stared at Chris, wondering how much of himself, of his feelings he wanted to share, while he still had control, while he still had time…

“I don’t want to hear it. We’re both getting out of here, alright?” The arm patted him on the shoulder, and Piers lost the strength to disagree, and instead swallowed his words with a nod. So be it. There wasn’t much time left for him. He had wanted to tell Chris something for years. Now, he’ll never have to hear it. Chris didn’t need the burden and the regret of knowing just how deeply Piers had regarded him.

“Let’s go.” He found himself falling in step at Chris’ optimism. Chris had always believed against the odds, and perhaps, for the first time since their arrival to China, he could trust his judgement for once.

“Depressurisation process complete. Unsealing doors now.” The AI finally gave welcomed news.

The locks were finally released, and Chris got the door open in haste. “We’re gonna get you out of here Piers. You hear me?” He spoke so casually, like it was as simple as getting Piers back from a night of overindulgence at the bar.

Piers staggered forward, still in pain and exhaustion in the process of assimilating with his limb. He didn’t know how long he could hold on. He was still in control, but he knew he was a ticking time bomb. Ever since he had plunged his limb into Haos, it had been throbbing and changing, probably mutating beneath the shell. He didn’t know what the limb had in store. He didn’t know if that was the virus’ doing, or of Haos’ doing. In either case, he was not prepared to surrender control to either entity. He will fight it off, because the Captain still needed him.

Their moment of relief was short lived as the next warning thundered in their ears. “Warning: integrity of the structure compromised, unable to withstand water pressure. All personnel please evacuate immediately” Great. One challenge after another. When life gives you lemons, it fucking rapes you and shits on you.

They dashed out the chamber, jumping through the falling platforms towards the gates. However the gates were covered with a biomass shell, and would not open against bullets or Chris’ knife.

“Stand back Captain, I can deal with this.” Piers raised his arm, and fried the biomass off the metal to open the space.

Chris jumped ahead, but two Napads had emerged from chrysalids and prowled in want. Running low on ammo, Chris was taking them on hand to hand, shattering the plates of armor with his fists as the structure trembled from the pressure. They won’t have time.

“Arrrrrrghghhh” Piers yelled in pain as he unloaded a charged shot to clear the next blocked gate and stunned both creatures. He motioned for Chris to jump through before following, and he narrowly managed to clear the platform when it fell and sank to the depths below. They didn’t have much time left.

There was just one final barrier. Piers forced his legs to keep going and cracked the final layer of biomass, dashing forward as fast as he could towards the final gate and opened it through. Chris raced in, but Piers had only taken two steps beyond the threshold of the sealed gate when felt his legs gave way from exhaustion. He laid prone on the metal scaffold. He wanted to get up, but he just had no strength or stamina anymore. He was already trying to hold on in his mind, and there wasn’t enough of his will left to command the rest of his body.

“Piers.” He heard his name in a heart wrenching tone.

“Damnit.” The despair in his voice broke Piers’ heart.

“Just go!” He shook his head and willed the Captain forward. There was no point of him moving on. He should stay here. He should stay locked up. He should stay quarantined, separated from everyone else, he didn’t know how he’d face the future without his arm, without his face, without his humanity… even if it was with his captain.

“No, you’re gonna be ok. We’re almost here.” Chris’ heart ached looking at the extent of Piers’ injuries and mutation. The limb must have been sucking all of his life force and his energy. Was Piers going to able to hold on? He pulled his good arm around his shoulder and dragged Piers with him. He knew he’ll have to get Piers out of there. There was no other option. Piers was his man. He was not leaving him behind.

They exited through the final door, and finally after fighting through wave and wave of disappointment and tragedy, Chris saw hope.

“The escape pods. You see that? We’d be out of there in no time.” He let Piers rest at the pod as he checked the launch pad to clear it for launch. They’d both get to the surface with this, the BSAA will pick them up, and he’ll get Piers to a hospital, they’ll reverse the mutation with antibodies, and Piers will be fine. There would be no more obstacles. They’ve both risked and went through and lost so much that there had to, just had to be a hint of mercy coming their way.

As he sat Piers felt his limb cackle and throbbed as it finished assimilating the biomass from Haos. He felt stronger suddenly, and the strength returning to his arms and legs. However he was fearful of the way the limb throbbed. It was as if it had a life of its own. He felt even his shoulder throb. Was the infection spreading beyond the limb? He felt goop and slime seep out of the scars of his face and all over his limb. His heart sank with cold realisation. This was it. There was no more time. He was not safe anymore.

He looked towards his left shoulder, gazing at the last vestige of pride, honour and humanity that his BSAA badge bore.

BSAA. His home. His purpose. His identity. His vocation. His life. His future.

Chris Redfield.

Being in the BSAA had meant the world to him. Ever since receiving the personal invitation from Chris Redfield, it had been his pride and purpose. He thought he’d go on fighting bioterrorism for the rest of his days with Chris Redfield, that perhaps one day he could have accomplished as much as his hero and mentor. Now, he ended up as the one thing they had spent their lives fighting. He wasn’t worthy anymore. Not worthy of his badge. Not worthy of his honour. Not worthy of… his Captain.

He raised the shoulder to his mouth, and ripped the badge off his shirt with his teeth. He wasn’t going to tarnish the BSAA’s reputation for his sake. He wasn’t going to burden his Captain with the difficult decision should he ever be beyond redemption.

“Come on. Got it!” Chris hit the activate switch, and the door of the pod finally swung open with a hiss. He went back and extended a palm to hold Piers up.

“Here you go Piers, we’re getting out of here.” They’re going home. Real home.

They clasped their hands over one another, and their minds cleared as they connected in body and thought. They had been partners for three years, and they finally could understand each other with near perfect clarity. Chris would not give Piers up. Piers would not put Chris in danger. Each man had valued the other’s life far above his own. Neither was going to relent.

Chris pulled Piers to his feet with a tight hold, and as he did he felt something pressed into his palm. Curious, he stared at the unexpected bestowal, and saw the blood stained BSAA patch that was on Piers’ shoulder. Wait. Why was Piers giving him this? He looked at Piers, and their gaze connected for an instant. He’d seen that look before. The look when Sheva let go of the plane. The look when Jill tackled Wesker out of a window. It was a look of personal sacrifice. It was a look of silent farewell.

In the moment he took to process that familiar, soul shattering memory that had laden so heavily on his heart it was too late. Piers pushed him into the pod with surprising strength. He fell on his back deep within the metal pod, looking up, confused. Hurt.

Hiss.

The doors started to close, and he shot up with panic realising what was going to happen, trying to stop it before it was too late, but the door clicked closed. He was too late. He was trapped in the pod. Without Piers. He finally understood what the gaze had meant, and his heart started sinking in a bottomless abyss.

“Piers! No! Don’t do this! Open the door!” He pounded at the door with grim anxiety, hoping that he could change his mind. This was just the kind of foolishness Piers would pull. Always giving himself up, always taking the tougher road. The moral high ground. Always throwing his life and wellbeing away for his sake. Didn’t he realise how much Chris needed him too?

“God damn it! Listen to me!” Chris had seldom been a words and long speeches person, but he no longer cared. There was no more time. If he couldn’t convince Piers now he might never get another word in. He needed to speak his mind. He needed Piers to be with him. He couldn’t bear to face a world without his partner. Not when he’d finally gotten all those treasured memories back.

“We can still both get out of here! There’s still time!” He grunted in pain, pounding the door ferociously, hoping that Piers would change his mind, hoping that his confession, his emotions would reach him beyond the cold hard steel and the unforgiving salty waters.

“What are you doing! No, Piers! Don’t!” He heart ached that Piers never said a word. Piers was always the one with the smart mouth, the one who had a witty comeback to every line. He wished Piers would say something to confess what he felt, to put him in his place. To tell him that he was wrong, that he would go with him. Anything to acknowledge his pain, and his desire, his need for Piers to be at his side. Instead, there was only deafening silence.

He watched, heart pounding, soul tearing as Piers took a painful, staggered step out of his view and towards the control panel, reaching his good arm to push and lock the lever that threatened to separate two broken halves of a whole forever.

“You can still make it out! Goddamnit Piers!” Chris was pounding the door with all his might. He hoped he could abort the launch from within, but the controls failed him. He was crumbling apart with despair as he heard the regretful screech of the alarm that signified the imminent launch. He raged in heartache, in agony. Half of himself was trapped outside the pod. The other half wanted nothing more than to join him out. He didn’t want to get out alone. He couldn’t leave Piers behind at the bottom of the ocean. There was no way he could live with himself without Piers at his side. He couldn’t bear the thought of losing Piers.

He was in panic. He’d almost lost Piers too many times since the start of the mission. Piers falling off the bamboo stake. Piers saving him from the camouflaged snake. Piers pushing him out of the way of Marco’s mutated form. Piers almost stabbed by the agent on the aircraft carrier. Piers almost crushed by the Ogroman as he deactivated the missiles. Piers crushed by Haos gripping him in its palm. Piers impaled on the metal. Piers injecting himself with the virus sample. He was powerless to change most of those outcomes, but he fought the times he could, and now, when they have journeyed so far together, and reached so close to the end, Piers had sealed him to his fate, condemning the rest of their lives to certain tragedy.

He held a slight sliver of hope when Piers strolled back into view across the glass, leaning forth, the look of apology and disappointment over the ooze laced face. He pressed both palms on the glass, turning his face towards his lieutenant. “No! Piers, open the goddamn door.” He wanted him to make eye contact, to see how much pain he was in.

“That’s an order!” He pulled the last trick he knew. Piers had rarely disobeyed him, even at great personal cost.

Still, he was defeated. The lieutenant looked downcast, refusing to look at him as he defied his last order until the pod finally started to rock in motion.

“No….” Chris shook his head slowly at disbelief. It was their ultimatum. Their eyes finally connected at the realisation of the end, the mournful brown into the shattered hazel, and it was an image that burned into both men’s memories forever. Chris stared despondently at the parting vision of his lieutenant. Piers stood tall, panting from pain and fighting to be in control, but his stance was still strong and confident. Chris’ heart ached noticing that even at his last farewell, his lieutenant fought his pain to stand at attention and send his commanding officer off with honour. Piers had proved that he was still his worthy soldier. Composed. Strong. Silent. He gazed at the pale handsome face, watching as he gave a final small shook of his head, and silently mouthed the words. “I… love…” but caught himself from uttering the final word. It didn’t matter; his gaze had said everything his words didn’t.

Chris was still tapping at the glass, feeling sudden moisture flood into his eyes, but he forced them to stay away. He wanted nothing to obstruct his vision. He wanted to burn the image of his handsome, worthy lieutenant, even in this disfigured state into his memory. He stared hungrily through every last parting millisecond, while they were still in proximity with one another, while they could still connect their gazes and hear one another. He wished in this moment that time could freeze, that love could transcend, that miracles could alter the brutal, crushing reality that this was to be their last moment together.

It all ended too soon.

There was no hope left.

“Piers!!!” He screamed the name with all of his soul’s yearning as the pod accelerated and finally launched out of the facility. The motion pushed his body against the window, and he stared at the tall, brave form of his sniper bidding him a silent farewell. He was so brave, and so stupid. He would have made it out! He would have been fine! He didn’t need to be left behind- cold, wounded, hurting and alone at the bottom of the ocean. He must have been afraid deep down. Nobody deserves to die alone, however noble the cause. Piers deserved everything. He deserved to live, to be free from pain, to have a second chance. He deserved to die as himself, as human. He deserved a full burial, to go out cradled in the arms of a man who loved him and valued his sacrifice. He deserved to be remembered a hero.

He sat slumped and defeated in his pod as it ascended. Every yard of the widening gulf between him and Piers brought another stab of pain to his heart. Here he was at last, once more redeemed and saved by Piers from one tragedy to another. Only now had he had been unchained from the deepest pits of the abyss of his mind, unshackled from the burden and pain of lost and guilt, given wings to resurface, to be reborn a legend anew. Yet he knew not where to go.

It had always been Piers. Always the one paying the price. Always the one atoning for his sins, interceding for his redemption, nailing himself on the cross in his place. But there was no solace in paradise when it bore the cost of eternal separation from the one who mattered the most. Life without Piers was in itself damnation to the deepest of hells. He had already lost Piers once from his memory. Now he had lost him forever.

Still, perhaps the promise of redemption was granted too soon.

In his morbid stare he found his view of the facility blocked by the cursed, tentacled figure. It was the harbinger of destruction again. Haos. He was back, regenerated, powerful. He rose from the depths once again with the haunt of a spectre, the dark, wretched shadow that was the cause of Piers’ injury and tragic fate.

He stared openly, devoid of emotion into the grim face of horror in the glass as it threatened to crush and devour his pod. For once, Chris Redfield was completely fearless.

Piers might never know if Haos got his pod. Still, he didn’t care about his survival anymore. Most of Chris had been left behind with Piers at the bottom of the ocean. He gazed with a morbid fascination into the eyes of the monstrosity, daring it to go ahead and claim him. He would be with Piers sooner that way. If they couldn’t stay together in life, then let them be reunited in death.

The pod shook, first a jolt, then violently as the tentacle appendages gripped the metal chamber, clutching it once again to subject it to a cruel fate. The lights shook and dimmed out, and all Chris could see was Haos’ weak bioluminescent features, the horror of the pale vile face before him.

_Come at me you son of a bitch. Too scared to finish the job?_

The face was right outside the glass, staring in and locking eyes with Chris. The monster who had injured and claimed his Piers. The monster who tore them both apart. Perhaps now the monster who will reunite them in death. He gazed into his death with eyes wide open, teeth clenched and heart ready and bleeding.

_Piers, I’m coming with you. No one gets left behind, even in death. I only wish I have the power like yours to take him with me._

As determined as he was to throw his life away, his eyes caught a glow in the dark gloomy sea, rising from the depths. A flash of lightning, white hot, brilliant as the stars had struck out from the facility, and he had to avert his gaze for a moment. He saw the form of Haos glow, and it fizzled in the water, torn asunder into a thousand pieces by the brilliant light and unparalleled electric power. It broke apart into a mass of broken limbs and parts , and below him Chris could see the facility explode and shake in a spectacle of colour, sending ball after ball of flames and shockwaves even as the magma vents erupted and the facility was utterly destroyed.

His heart gave a weak leap and Chris felt it had unwound in his chest. He never knew it could hurt this much, but he welcomed the pain.

Piers!! His cheek lined with moisture at the recognition, and the parting. It had to be Piers. He was still protected by the man he loved. He had redeemed him once more. If Chris ever needed a confirmation of love, that was it. In that moment, staring at the face of death and being raised again to life, Chris had felt stronger than ever, that everything he had hoped about Piers Nivans for years was confirmed true. Piers had always loved him. There was no greater love. They were partners to the end. He was watching him even from beyond.

He only wished they had confessed their feelings sooner.

He let the tears mingle with the sweat and salt of his face. He still could see the colours and flames from the facility’s destruction… he hoped despite his rational mind that there would be another pod, that Piers would survive, but his heart had shattered in pieces as he laid defeated in the life pod, broken, bleeding and grieving.

Piers was his everything to live for. He didn’t know what else there would be to lead him on. He had spent six months living without reason. Now reason found him, and now reason banished him.

He laid in a silent void, forsaken in his mind, remember every last moment, every conversation, every smile, every detail of his favourite sniper. The most excellent partner he’s had who had given him the greatest love of all.

The pod quietly ascended and risen from beneath the waters, bring with it a broken Captain who had been reborn, relieved from a life of lost memories, lost purpose in to the dawn of a new day. A new beginning The pod finally opened, and Chris was finally freed from the prison of fate, the curse of hate that he had locked himself in since his arrival in China.

Fresh air. Calm sea. Warm morning sun. Chris Redfield had forgotten that this was still part of the world he lived in. He’d spent fourteen hours straight plunged into darkness, to war, to horror, to loss, to sacrifice. It may have taken six months, but Piers had finally brought and secured him from his personal hell into something that resembled a normal life. He was here only because of Piers Nivans.

The sun was warm, like Piers’ touch. It shone brilliantly, like Piers’ character, his qualities, his electric power. He took a breath of the fresh ocean air, refreshed by the salty smell of the sea. He opened his palm, looking at the blood stained badge of his most loyal partner.

_“BSAA- It’s where you belong.”_

Those gentle words were spoken to him only two days ago. It spurred the start of him regaining his memories. Now they were his final will. Now they were his final memories. He clasped the badge over his heart, remember the carefree, handsome young sniper with the coffee coloured hair, the honey hazel eyes and the army green shemagh. The loyal second, the perfect marksman, the capable lieutenant who burned with justice. The unwavering soldier who acted with purpose and passion, the unrivalled lieutenant who held records and accolades beyond any other. The one devout partner who finally managed to nourish and warmed Chris’ heart after years of neglect and abuse. The one man who had truly regarded his Captain’s life and purpose to be worth more than anything, and gave it his all in the name of duty and love.

_I will stay on, Partner._

Because it’s the BSAA. It’s where Piers belongs too.

Always.


	4. Pure Devotion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alone at the underwater facility, Piers reflects on his feelings for Chris at the last moments between fire, water and the explosion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love you, with every cell; more than words could ever tell  
> I must leave you now, but in you heart will I belong - theosymphany

He had never felt more certain, more powerful and more determined at this moment than any other in his life. For the first time since his mutation, Piers felt he was in clear control of his power. He had finally regained his confidence in his abilities.

Haos will be no match for this.

Moments ago he would have panicked at the ever regenerating monster going after Chris’ pod, but as he charged his final attack he just knew how to overcome his arch nemesis.

“Arrrrrrhhhhhh” He screamed at the buildup of power, now white hot and encasing over the right half of his body. Even in the darkness of the sea and the growing distance between them, he felt as if he knew precisely where Haos was from his vision, from his senses. He lined up the limb and fired with all his might as he channelled the biggest pulse of bioelectricity his body could muster, the pain surging in his body a small price to pay to see Haos convulse, and tore apart in chunks and debris, exploding against the pressure of the ocean. It was gone for good. He had fried every last inch of the monster. His limb told him that Haos was finished. His job, his sacrifice, was at last completed.

He had done it. He tore Haos asunder. He knew there was a reason why he had to stay. Chris’ pod is safe now. Chris can head home. And he, he could finally find rest from his short but brilliant life. Some people wallow in mediocrity all their lives. Some, like Piers Nivans, surge on a meteoric rise to fame, and go out in a blaze of hope, entrusting a legacy of inspiration and honour to all those who followed.

He knew from the shakes and explosions of the facility that his time was up, yet at this moment he did not feel sorrow or self-pity at his circumstances. Rather, he was optimistic, even satisfied that his sacrifices were worth it. He saw Chris out. He saw Haos finally die. If that was the price he had to pay for world peace, he’d say he came out with a bargain. Explosion after explosion could be heard through the facility as it crumbled apart. The temperature was fast rising from the escape of the heat vents of the magma beneath him. Sparks and shockwaves rocked the compound as water poured in from every angle. Let the place burn with all the monstrosity and evil that were bred in this place. He will take the facility down with him.

He sat slumped against a life pod. It was too late to try to get in. In fact, he didn’t even want to get in. Rather, he took a final moment to survey his thoughts and desires. To savour once more his love and feelings for the man in his heart. They were separated, and he would never see him again, but that’s ok. He had spent over six months worrying for the man, worried that there was nobody by his side, nobody to watch out for him, to look after him. He brought him home now. He’ll have Jill, the BSAA, Claire.

The Captain has his badge.

He was not the first Chris had lost. He wouldn’t be the last. He would join the ranks of his faithful brother and sisters on the far side of the sea who had gone before him. He would be joining his friends- agents like Merah Biji, Andy Walker, Marco Rose, Finn Macauley, Ben Airhart, Carl Alfonso. He gave his life willingly because he believed in him. His Captain. Neither of them would be in a lonely place.

He wished that when Chris was weak, that his badge would remind him just how much he believed in him. How much of a difference he had made to his life.

He was sorry, not because of what he did, but that he couldn’t be there for Chris next time. To pull him safe from the next threat. To take the next bullet in his stead. Yet he knew, that as long as Chris saw hope in himself, he would keep going. He didn’t regret for a moment what he had done. He regrets that he had but one life to give for his captain. He wanted his badge to not be a reminder of sorrow for those who have been lost, but a source of strength for those still to be saved. Irony. Chris wanted to leave his legacy to Piers. Piers ended up leaving his badge back with Chris.

He sighed. Chris might have never known just how much he cared for him. How much strength and comfort he had sought behind those broad shoulders and strong back. How he thought of him in the evenings and how he had vowed to do everything to protect him. How hard he fought to control the adrenaline from shaking his trigger arm whenever Chris went in danger.

Ultimately, it was Piers Nivan’s honour to call Chris Redfield Captain. His Captain.

Farewell.

The Captain has his badge, and now he wouldn’t have to hand in his. Chris will fight the good fight, for him, for them both. It was harder to be the one left behind, but Piers will keep him safe from the skies and from the seas.

 _Take me with you, Chris_.

_Take me home._

His mind swirled with many thoughts and memories, feelings and emotions. Even against the freezing currents and darkness of the ocean, he heart was warm and glowing with the memories of him and the Captain.

* * *

 

Theme song: “In your heart will I belong” by theosymphany (please play along as you read on)

 

There is not a word that could capture all I wanted to say  
There is no more time, I must leave you now with one last glance   
There is nothing I want than to spend each day just by your side  
But even more than that, I want to see you well

Take my love, all of me, take my memories, take my warmth  
Take my heart and take my soul, take me wherever you will go  
I love you, with every cell, more than words could ever tell  
I must leave you now but in your heart will I belong

From another place, I will guard you and light all your ways  
I am glad for this; it’s my choice and wish to honour you  
No height or depth could separate you from my love  
So live on, be strong, that’s all I want for us

I know it’s cruel we couldn’t spend our last as one  
That it is harder to be one who’s left behind  
Allow me one selfish act, I want you to live on  
If you were in my place, I know you’d do the same

Take my love, all of me, take my memories, take my warmth  
Take my heart and take my soul, take me wherever you will go  
I love you, with every cell, more than words could ever tell  
I must leave you now, but in your heart will I belong 

 

* * *

 

He remains curled up in a foetal position, feeling the water rush in around him as he said his final farewell to Chris in his consciousness.  The entire facility was shaking, and he was soaked completely wet from the flooding currents. It was time.

In this moment, he no longer worried about life, or death, or mutation, or war, or terror.  He only thought of love, of Chris, of how nice it’d be to one day wake up and be held in his arms. To partner up again for their next mission, to fly over many sunsets from a helicopter, and perhaps steal away for a kiss or two when they found their privacy.

Farewell, Chris. His mind settled on a final memory. Of the way Chris’ face lit up when he first reported for duty in his office. It was their beginning. A moment that held so much promise and potential. He smiled, and looked into those sparkling eyes of walnut brown, and he knew he would follow them forever.

_No one gets left behind._

The water had risen to his waist, and he felt his limb crackle and throb in the sea water, swelling,  expanding.  The water level rose, but for once he didn’t panic.  He sat still and thought of nothing but Chris Redfield, blocking out every other thought and emotion as he breathed his last.  He finally blacked out when he was surrounded by the viscous fluids from his face and arm.

_I have run the race.  I’m going to die as myself. Human._

At his rest, his arm began to expand in mass and size, as if it was a gel.  The goop that seeped out of the arm and his face took on a translucent glow.  The soft gel spread and grew and surrounded his head, the entire appendage, spreading to his shoulder, his side, his torso.  The soft jelly encased all over his body’s foetal position like an egg.  It was not like the hard chrysalid of the C-virus, but soft and transparent like Haos was.  The egg like spawn was filled with a viscous fluid secretion, and the fluid seeped into his lungs.  Piers’ mind drew to a blank state of bliss where he was finally freed from the senses and memories of pain and turmoil. Life was a struggle, death is rest.

_Rest wasn’t so bad after all._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Excuse the repetition of some earlier works, those pieces were totally written for this setting. Still my strongest feels in the song and I hoped to do the final scene justice. It's a sad but beautiful parting.  
> Music, lyrics, vocals and accompaniment by theosymphany  
> Soundcloud link (for download) [here](https://soundcloud.com/theosymphany/in-your-heart-will-i-belong)


	5. Torn Honour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris Redfield had made it out, but his battle has only just begun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PTSD/ hallucination trigger warning. Angst.

_1 st July 2013, 1500 hours_

_BSAA medical facility, Sichuan, China._

 

“Captain, wake up.  We have a call for you.”

“Ugh.” Chris sat up in the white hospital room, hooked up again on various instruments for monitoring and life support. He’d been knocked out and treated after being airlifted to a medical facility.  His head ached, and he felt the bruises on his sides and every part of his body burn with movement and soreness.  The toll of the previous day’s combat had exhausted him.  Even now his mind was in as much pain as his body, with the awoken painful memories and their flood of emotions abrading on his sanity. This was only made worse when he looked around and didn’t see Piers by his side.

“Where’s Piers?” He asked the man.

“Captain, we only located you in the escape pod. We found no signs of Lt. Nivans.”

“Keep looking for him, ok?” He said faintly. Piers might be still down there waiting for rescue.  He was still extremely weak, but he must push on.

“Assemble a team of divers.  He must still be there- he needs urgent evac.”

“Got it sir. We have Colonel Valentine on the line for you.” He couldn’t sit up, so he laid in bed and let the assistant hook him up to a headset.

“Chris Redfield.” It seemed as if it’s been a century since he called himself by that name.

“Chris… it’s Jill. Jill Valentine, if you still remember me.” The voice sounded hesitant and gentle, but it was familiar.  Jill. Chris remembered at once the confident, agile figure, the strong fighter, the remarkable shooter, his partner since the early days from S.T.A.R.S.  Of course he did. He spent all of three years practically leaving no stone unturned at the ends of the earth searching for her. They’d been long time partners and friends, cofounders of the BSAA.  He was relieved to have her on the line.

“Jill! Of course I remember.” He gave a weary smile.

“Chris, we’re glad that you’re back, and that you recovered your memories.”

“You have Piers to thank for that.” He stared at the window, still feeling hollow at the mention of his lost partner’s name. Yet he must, he could not let himself forget that name again. He will mention his lieutenant and partner at every opportunity.

“Chris, I’m so sorry. America… all of BSAA is mourning. The world is never the same.  President Benford is dead. The whole town of Tall Oaks was sterilised. Tatchi is still infected. Waiyip is still a mess… this is the biggest global biohazard we’d have to deal with, and we’ve lost so many men… Alpha Team, Bravo Team, half of Charlie Team, all of Echo Team from NA branch... a significant portion of our operatives from Far East branch and the others sent to help… all gone.”

“Jill, I need you to help me. We need to get Piers Nivans back.”

“Is he alright?  He didn’t make it into the evac with you?”

“Piers... he chose to stay behind at the underwater facility.  He sacrificed himself to take out Neo Umbrella’s ultimate bioweapon, one capable of spreading the C-virus to the world in a matter of days.  Without him, there would have been no hope left for any of us. Piers chose to go out like a hero, but I don’t believe he’s dead.  I must look for him.”

“Chris, intel says he was at the underwater facility right next to a volcano… at a depth that nobody could survive without depressurisation…”

“Jill.” His voice was thick in weariness, but he was determined. “You know better than anyone else that Chris Redfield doesn’t leave a partner behind. Piers looked for me for six months. I’m… stuck in hospital, so I need you. Please.”

“Chris… I…” The voice hesitated, but regained its confidence. “Of course I understand. I owe you my life, for freeing me out of Wesker’s domination. I understand you want to find Piers. Of course I do. He’s a worthy partner, the best young operative we have in the BSAA. He is worth it.”

“Thank you Jill, I’ll need someone to help me coordinate the team. I know BSAA has its hands full and Lanshiang is hell on earth right now, but… if you can allow me the resources… Piers deserves this.  There wouldn’t have been a world worth saving or carrying on if not for him.”

“Alright Chris, I’ll coordinate the team.  I’ll meet you in China at the BSAA site.”

Chris dropped his call, feeling he was living an empty shell of a man.  Without Piers, he’d lost all the joy, the life, the colour in his world. That was what life was like in Edonia.  He had alcohol then- he drowned out all his sorrows at the bottom of a cup.  That was behind him though. Piers had made sure of that. He had to honour his wishes.

He busied himself listening to the comms of the rescue team as he laid on the hospital bed, still wrapped in gauze and bandages and hooked up to drips. He’s no stranger to hospitals, he’d spend his share of time recovering from one injury or another. If Piers was found however, they need a way to help him.

He was immobilised and confined to bed to allow his cracked ribs to heal, to allow his bruised internal organs a chance to mend, not to mention the various cuts and scrapes all over his body. Not to mention his headaches as his old memories assimilate with new ones. He knew better than to fight with the doctors. He’s suffered worse, he’ll pull through. His body will pull through. The sooner he gets better, the sooner he gets back out there for Piers.

“You guys, when Jill arrives, assemble me the best research team we have for treatment against C-viral infections.” Getting Piers back would only be the beginning.

* * *

 

The first day was hard. The physical trauma, the aches and pains from every part of his body was a walk in the park compared to the gripping intensity of unrelenting emotions that kept resurfacing without invitation.  The dying screams of Finn, Andy, Carl, Ben, Merah, Jeff, Keaton, Marco, and Reid haunted his waking moments. Then there were the screams of Piers at his injury that forever tore at a soft part of his heart, laying open and bleeding and would probably never heal. The sight of Piers disappearing from his view when the life pod launched. Then there was the soul crushing feeling of being bedridden and confined, powerless to do any more for his men, his organisation than lie on a bed and hate himself.

He tried to sleep as much as he could.  There was no alcohol to help him forget.  After depending on that stuff day and night, it was a shock to his system to be deprived of its comforts. The horrors of war and danger of combat had taken the edge off for the first day, but now, strapped in a bed and his mind free to wander, he felt the undeniable thirst in his soul for the drink. Part of him wanted to give in, and let the fog of alcohol induced stupor shelter him for the harshness and reality of life, yet the rest of him burned with the memory of the disappointment on Piers’ face. He couldn’t let Piers down. Not after all he owed him for.  He pressed the trigger for painkillers to help take away the pain, to knock him out.  He’d just have to sleep it off.

If only he knew that the conscious battles were far less horrifying than the unconscious ones.

He saw the face of the Asian woman with the red scarf. Ada Wong. Sneering at him with delight. Looking him over with pure contempt, like he was the neutered wretch of a downtrodden stray dog. Broken and torn, and descended to insignificance.

“Still haven’t had enough, huh?”

I’ve had enough.

“Even after losing all you men—again?”

They deserved to live… I should have died in their place.

“With your track record, I gotta say, I’d hate to be a member of your team, Chris.”

Andy, Carl, Ben, Finn, Merah, Jeff, Keaton, Marco, Reid. Piers.

God damn Ada.

“Don’t listen to her, Captain!”

God bless Piers.

* * *

 

He was in the clutches of Haos again, alone with his partner at the bottom of the ocean.  Together, they were the last line of defense against unstoppable global infection. Yet Haos’ strength was more than a match for them. Filled again with the sense of panic and fear, reminded again of his uselessness.  Watching Piers bleed out, watching the seawater turn into a pool of red.  Watching Haos turn to the colour of blood even as his ribs gave way and his body was crushed to mush.

He woke, to find himself again in the clutches of Haos, watching Piers bleeding out again, his ribs breaking one by one again. The stain spreading to a red Haos, and his ribs finally gave way and his body was crushed to mush.

Noooooo!

* * *

 

He felt himself at the clutches of Wesker, his heavy limbs hanging useless.  He felt Wesker crushing his arm, flailing him around like a broken doll.  He sailed effortlessly through the air and onto sharp metal wreckage, and he screamed as his arm was impaled with a spike of steel.  He saw Wesker throw a pile of debris towards him, and he cried in pain as his once powerful arm was mercilessly crushed and dismembered.  He rolled on the floor, screaming in agony, watching the bleeding stump paint the carpet red.  Watching as Jill shook her head and pointed her gun at Chris’ head.  He looked into her eyes, pleading for a fast release.

She fired.

Only that she was never Jill, she was Ada Wong, and she shot him with a C-virus dart.

He felt his skin erupt into flames as he became encased in a chrysalid.  He reached out his remaining arm to Wesker, hoping his Captain could save him from himself… instead he heard his mocking maniacal laugh, the laughter that had haunted him day and night for years.

* * *

 

He saw Piers mutating in front of his eyes, reaching his hand out as Finn did, pleading for him to save him, but he watched time after time as there was nothing he could do. Piers turned to the armoured Napad. Piers turned to the insect form of Marco. Piers turned to J’avo with extra eyes on his face. Piers turned to Haos who swiped at him with translucent limbs. They all rushed to him, battering him around, crushing him, throwing his head against the cold hard ground, and his world went dark, to find another form of infected Piers doing the same to him, over and over.

* * *

 

He stood face to face with a mutated Piers, jaw set, pointing his limb at him and daring him to shoot.

“Shoot me Captain! You have to put me down!” The voice was hoarse and torn with emotion.  He tugged at the limb, trying to wrestle for control, trying to gain command back over a part of his body that was no longer his. Chris felt himself breaking seeing Piers lose control, seeing him hate himself, be at war with himself. He too, was losing control of himself, hating himself, was at war with himself.

“No Piers, you have to fight it.” He lowered his gun, approached Piers and tried to help.

“No!” Piers jumped back as the limb thrashed out of his grip and made a line for Chris’ throat.

He held out his gun.  Maybe he can shoot the limb off.  He’d never wanted to hurt Piers in a thousand years, but better a scarred, living veteran than a whole corpse.

“Kill me Chris, it’s the only way for me to die as myself!” Piers screamed.  He looked at him in disappointment, hurt that his death wish was being ignored. 

“I’m disappointed, Captain. If only you’d listen to me...”

“Every time I asked you to do the right thing you backed away. Every time it ended in greater tragedy. Is this what you wanted? Are you satisfied now that I’m this because of you?” His arm throbbed and arcs of bioelectricity surged at his rage. Shocking Chris, but he stared silently at Piers and let the lightning hit. It was his fault. He backed away.

Both of Piers’ eyes had mutated. There was no longer any hint of the warm honey hazel left. Just a cold, judgemental murky grey.  The body of his former lieutenant staggered forward, death in his eyes, step by step towards the Captain, limb sparkling with electricity as a sadistic grin covered his features.  Five feet, four, three.

A torrent of bioelectricity hit his arm and a hum filled the air.

He bit his lip so hard it drew blood. He fired at the skull of the man he’d known and loved.

His heart broke as the once perfect body hit the floor, the blood of his lieutenant saturating the ground into a sacrilegious tragedy of red.

Redfield.  Red blood. Red failure.

In his despair he thought he heard the sound of Ada Wong’s laughter filled the room. He pointed the gun at his own head.

“Piers, I’m going with you.”

He pulled the trigger, and felt his own body hit the floor, gazing into the dark caramel brown hair of the man he loved. The man he killed. The man he failed to save.

“Captainnnn!”

* * *

 

“My name is Finn Macauley, Sir.”

“We could have prevented some of those deaths!”

He sank crouched in the corner of his consciousness, clutching his head in pain.

“I’m sorry, Piers… I…”

“What the hell were you thinking? Pulling a kamikaze stunt like that?”

“I was stupid Piers…”

“You said the team’s always got my back.”

Finn….

“I feel sorry for all the men that died believing in you!”

“I… I failed them…”

“It’s a good thing Finn’s not around to see you this way!”

“Finn… Piers... I’m sorry…”

“I’ve got you Finn, I’ll keep you safe.  Don’t you worry yourself with the captain.”

“Sir, yes sir. We must not forget our mission… to fight bioterrorism.”

“Piers… no…. don’t leave me!”

 Yell at me. Spit at me. Mock me. But don’t goddamn leave me behind.

“So this is the legendary Chris Redfield huh? I’ve had enough of your bad leadership.  I’m handing in my badge. I’m done with you.”

“No Piers, don’t leave me…”

Finn, I’ll get you out of there. I’ll keep you safe.”

“Piers….” Why did he pick Finn over me? What did Finn have that I don’t? Oh, right. He wasn’t a failure.  He didn’t get his men killed. No, he didn’t get Piers’ men killed.

He sank in the corner of his consciousness and bawled his eyes out.

And he woke up with tears, feeling like he hadn’t slept for a thousand years, the emotional exhaustion and weight of centuries of guilt laid heavy on his heart.  He struggled to breathe.  His heartbeat was becoming more and more irregular.  He passed out as the beeps and warnings of the machine in the hospital room became a wretched cacophony.

* * *

 

He was face to face with mutated Piers again.  He was bound on a table, and Piers was shocking him over and over, punishing him for his mistakes. Punishing him for turning him to the monster he’d become.

“I’m a failure.”

“I failed you.”

“I should have listened.”

“I should have stayed behind and died with you.”

“I should have died in Edonia.”

He looked into the mismatched hazel eye and begged for forgiveness, but there was only shock after shock after shock.  His body shuddered and convulsed, and he finally accepted the punishment.  He deserved it.  He looked at resignation at his Lieutenant and surrendered his body to the sparks.

Kill me Piers. I deserve it. I deserve to… die at your hand.

He gasped as he regained consciousness, seeing a blur of white figures above him.

‘He’s up!’ they muffled voices said, then he felt a mask go over his face, and he was knocked out again.

* * *

 

Piers!

He opened his eyes.  It was finally daylight. He was back in the hospital room.

He felt his heart had been stabbed with a blade.  A twisting, barbed, jagged cut that delivered so much pain. His body was battered in soul and spirit.  His mind was fast crumbling between subconsciousness and reality. Even in the rays of the sun he saw the blond of Wesker. In the hospital sheet of white he saw the skin of Haos. In the needle in his arm he saw Ada Wong’s dart gun, in the glass of water beside his bed he saw Piers drowning to his death…

He was a fucking living nightmare.

He was all kinds of fucked up, and there was nothing he could do about it.

Every man’s face he saw were that of Finn, of Piers, pleading for him to save them from their pain as they turned. Every woman’s face was Ada Wong, laughing, mocking. He saw enemies and allies at every turn. He saw death and destruction at every page. He saw failure and regret on every tile.

White. The colour of insanity. The colour of impotence. The colour of Haos.

Black. The colour of death. The colour of failure. The colour of Ada Wong.

Everywhere he looked it was black and white. There was no colour left in his world.  The honey hazel eyes that he was so fond of were the blind mutated patch of murky white marred with black dots. If it opened his eyes he saw Haos and Ada. If he closed his eyes he saw Piers with his face split open and eyes with no pupils. He couldn’t take it anymore.

He turned to stare at Piers’ patch on the windowsill.  It was finally not black and white.  It was blue, and stained with the dull crimson of sacrifice. Piers’ blood.

Was that why Piers handed in the badge? Had he had enough? Was he finally washing his hands off him?

“I’m so sorry Piers.  I failed you…”

He had never felt so weak in his life.  His false confidence and composure was gone, replaced by the wretchedness and loathing of the self-pitying drunk in Edonia.

It had barely been a day since Piers had rebuilt Chris Redfield in his image.  Now he had fallen to pieces all over again.

Disappointed Piers all over again.

I’m a fucking failure.

And nobody will put me back together this time.


	6. Small Mercy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He was following the progress of the search by day, trying to keep optimism alive. He was fighting his own battles at night, trying to keep despair at bay. He was helping direct the rescue operations for Piers Nivans, but within the tumultuous depths his mind, he was also launching his own rescue operations to find the real Chris Redfield.

Chris Redfield fought on. One day at a time. One daymare and nightmare at a time.

He could have given up, and would have given up if he was battling this alone.

But he wasn’t.

There was still one last partnership holding him up. Redfield and Nivans. Because they never said it would end even with either of them going lights out.

Piers’ badge represented the last bastion of admiration, strength and trust he held.  Long after he had given up, there was still one who believed in him, who still saw him to be more than what he saw in himself. No matter what. His partner still had his back. He was still watching.  Chris Redfield was still ‘always in his sights.’ Piers had been his guardian angel for over six months even without Chris knowing. He knows he’ll still be watched over by his partner, wherever he may be.

If he couldn’t go on for his sake, he would go on for Piers’.

Because he owed him. Because _he_ owed _him_.

Because he needed him. Because _he_ needed _him_.

Because he loved him. Because _he_ loved _him_.

Piers was still out there. He’s got to find him. Because Chris Redfield has promised he will never let him go while Piers was still capable of hanging on.

He rubbed his fingers over the fabric and thought of the dark caramel brown haired figure it represented, a man so positive and strong in his beliefs, one who never wavered at right or wrong, want or need, love or duty, holding on or letting go.

With the sheer ferocity of strength of spirit, he made it one day at a time. It was easy for any outsider to assume Chris Redfield recovers from any physical and psychological scar like water off a duck’s back. Just picks himself up and dusts himself off because he’s so used to it. They were wrong. They never knew just how sensitive and deep the wounds had run, how one emotion triggers the network of pains beneath each underlying layer of scars. How much he had really valued the people he had lost, just how much he really took each failure or mistake to heart.

Still, on the surface he was fine. He was following the progress of the search by day, trying to keep optimism alive. He was fighting his own battles at night, trying to keep despair at bay.  He was helping direct the rescue operations for Piers Nivans, but within the tumultuous depths his mind, he was also launching his own rescue operations to find the real Chris Redfield. If anything, Piers taught him that the manner in which he wallowed over the last six months had not been worthy of his respect.  He has to bring the real Chris Redfield back. The legend that Piers had seen in him from the very beginning. The Chris Redfield that had been shattered and buried under years of neglect, alcohol abuse, self-sabotage, loss, dilemmas, lapses of confidence and personal crises.  The Chris Redfield that brought Jill Valentine back, who saved Sheva Alomar, who will bring Piers Nivans back.

It was painful. Searching, rediscovering and restoring broken parts of himself he’d long been cut off to.  He tried to remember the Chris Redfield at 25- the bright, undaunted and invincible operative of S.T.A.R.S. who made it his personal mission to hunt down Wesker and right his wrongs.  He believed in himself back then. It took him eleven years and the founding of the BSAA, and the aftermath of several biohazard outbreaks, but he’d done it in 2009.

He remembered who he was when he met Piers- the agent with the highest volume of volunteered missions who devoted himself to raising the next generation in the BSAA.  He had surrounded himself with operatives like Piers Nivans, tomorrow’s finest who could serve in his stead. Jill had jokingly called his operation ‘Project Chris Redfield’, as a play on words on ‘pro-ject’. He remembered seeing his young self in Piers, and the way he wanted to protect him from the pain and brokenness and jadedness he had gone through.  Unlike himself, Piers had an unquenchable optimism and unwavering moral judgement. He would be a greater captain, greater operative, greater leader of the BSAA in the years to come. Chris had to admit, he had become more proud of Piers’ accomplishments, aptitudes and excellence under him than in his own tired old stories that Piers kept raving on about.

Then Piers threw all that away for the sake of bringing Chris back.

Chris had always tried to teach Piers so much, passing on every tip for survival and leadership. Teaching him how to lead by example despite his own arrogance and clumsiness at taking orders, how to help new soldiers fall in line despite his own penchant for improvisation, how to support them through the horrors of frontline combat despite his own flashbacks and PTSD, how to help them keep sane and human after the operations despite his own bouts of intoxication and rage. Then there was the technical training, the operation plans and schedules, the meetings and reports. Well, those things Piers helped him more than the other way around. Piers had a patience for administration and organisation that he thoroughly lacked.

The more he thought about it, the more Chris realised that for all his time spent teaching, he should have tried to learn from his subordinate. After all, the young operative was so much like the younger version of himself.  Each time he glanced at the badge he remembered the smiling figure, the man who never gave his Captain a moment’s reprieve, who was always the first to put him in his place with his smart mouth and astute observation. The man who loved food more than anything, who shoots like he held guns in the womb, who set a standard so high to every other recruit that Chris had to ask him to back off so others don’t get so intimidated by his excellence.

_Piers, you’ve got to help me find myself_. He thought about Piers’ strong moral compass, the instinctive way he knew right from wrong and how he refused to let emotion and personal attachment cloud his judgement, well, unless it involved Chris.  He thought about Piers’ dedication to getting the job done now and worry about the consequences later, how he held and beat his body to submission when the task demanded.  His intense concentration, his sharpness for details and contrast, his infectious positivity, his flawless performance, his undying admiration. His unwavering belief in doing good in the world and overcoming bioterrorism. It was exactly what he needed to rediscover at this stage of his life. Through Piers’ eyes, Chris could start to see himself as he used to be, as he needed to be all along. Chris Redfield’s true strength was not in his accomplishments, but in his beliefs, in his passions and in his actions. Chris had lost too much of himself at the personal costs of war and terrorism, but through Piers’ eyes, he had finally recovered his finest honours.

“Chris!” Chris looked up from the array of maps and notes he had on the table installed over his bed, surprised to find the comforting blond hair and blue eyed figure of his long term partner.

“Jill!” He sat up and returned a warm hug.

“It’s good to see you.  It’s been so long.” She smiled, studying the form of her partner she’d known for over fifteen years.

“You still look strong and energetic as ever, Chris.” She smiled, relieved that Chris was still in good spirits and held a positive outlook despite the tragedies that had struck the world, struck the BSAA, struck his unit and struck his personal life.

“I’m hanging on, because a stubborn smart arse wouldn’t let me just hand in my gun and have it easy.” He said, casting a gaze on the prized fabric of Piers’ badge kept on his desk.

“Chris, we’ll find him.” Jill said, hoping she and Piers could one day wipe off the permanent knot on Chris’ brows.

Chris remained silent, shaking his head slowly as he looked over the map.  It had a number of concentric circles around the facility site with X’s marking the spots where the managed a clear search.

“It’s deep below the sea, and the proximity of the magma vent and the scattered debris really made it difficult to do any significant scouting.” Jill said, trying to be rational but hopeful.  She couldn’t see how Piers would still be alive after a week down there, but then again, everyone but Chris had marked her dead after three months. If Chris was right, she’ll let him be right. She was the living proof of that.

“We’ll keep going Jill.  I owe you one.” He gave a slight nod of his head.

“Don’t mention it. I still haven’t repaid my debt.”

“So you’re here to see me? Or there’s something more?” Chris asked.  Jill was a Lieutenant Colonel in the field, and on base she was the director of a number of BSAA initiatives and a member of the board.  While he preferred being out there training, leading and directing his men, spearheading his operations, Jill was looking after a lot of operational issues and sat through tons of meetings he himself couldn’t be bothered with. They were a good team that way, helping one another in their areas of strength.

“I’m helping command and direct the local operations here.  There’s going to be months of work required to rescue, contain, sanitise and pick up the pieces across Lanshiang. We still have many operatives of our branch here and probably will be sending more even with the big gap we had from the men we’d lost…” She sighed. 

“How bad was it?” Chris looked down, but he had to know also.

“In Alpha Team we have you and two injured operatives left. We lost Marco Rose and the rest of Bravo team. We lost a few men in Charlie Team but the rest are active on the ground. We still have Delta Team, and Echo team was wiped out in its entirety at Tatchi.” She also looked downcast.  It was the toughest blow to their branch they had ever experienced.  They’d lost many of of their operation units, Bravo and Echo team captain and their top agent Piers. Thankfully the Division of Security Operations (DSO) is in charge of the fallout from the Tall Oaks attack along with the aftermath of President Benford’s passing, so they can spare the BSAA agents here with Far East branch. Besides, Chris was going to be located here for a while, at least until they find Piers, and she might as well give him a bit of support.  Piers was the one who had shouldered the burden for looking out his Captain alone during his period of absence.

“Following the Tall Oaks attack, and the loss of President Benford to bioterrorism, we are seeing a big surge in recruits and volunteers who wanted to avenge and do their part in the fight against bioterrorism. We’re picking up whatever we could and hopefully get some reinforcements over here soon to help pick up some of the gaps. Chris, even if you don’t want to be on field operations, these men could do a lot with your training and inspiration…” She looked at Chris, knowing just how tired and weary of fighting he had to be. She took a very long break after being grounded in 2009 for tests and only took active combat in small doses, preferring to use her expertise in tactical command of SOUs.

“Yeah, I’ll keep training the men once I’m better and I get Piers back with me. To be honest he’s even better as a fearful drill sergeant than I am.  He kept calling me an old softie who’s too afraid to break in the rookies.” He couldn’t help but smile thinking back to the times he and Piers played good cop bad cop in beating their men into shape.

“Still, I have some good news Chris. TerraSave is mobilising their units for disaster management, local aid and distribution of vaccines and setting up quarantine centers in Lanshiang and they are arriving very shortly. I got in touch with Claire. She and Moira will be arriving with the team soon, and perhaps they’ll swing by for a visit. I’m sure Claire would have missed you.”

“Moira, she’s Barry’s girl right? Gosh, they’ve all grown up so fast!” Chris scratched his head lightly with a smile. He still always remembered Moira as a smart and bossy nine year old when they had first met with the Burtons.

“Indeed they have. Listen, I think with an attack of this kind there’s real opportunity to set up long term partnerships with TerraSave.  They need our units to protect them in their operations and we need their logistics and field operations to provide humanitarian aid and frontline support as we clear out areas. If you’re willing, we should talk shop with Claire a bit.  I think she’s taken on a few directive roles after TerraSave’s power vacuum from 2011.”

“Claire? She’s my little sister, of course she’ll help me,” Chris finally put on a big grin thinking of Claire. They may both be well past 30, but Claire was still just his baby sister.

“You mentioned a few days ago about putting a research team against viral infection. Perhaps TerraSave might have some experts too. What’s that about?”

“Ada Wong, or at least, the person claiming she was Ada Wong developed a new strain of C-virus.  We know nothing about it.  It’s important we research it.”

“Are there any direct threats?  Do you have a sample?”

“We… had a sample, but we lost it down there fighting Haos.” Chris stared at a corner of the map, trying not to look at Jill.

“Chris, you’re hiding something.” Jill sat down next to Chris and gave his broad shoulder a squeeze. “I know something’s been bothering you. I know there have been a lot of losses and I’m choosing not to question, but at the very least, let me know how I can help you. You don’t have to carry every burden yourself.”

The sorrowful brown eyes stared plaintively at the icy blue for a long moment.

“Jill. Can I trust you?” He asked, thinking back on Jill’s personal history.

“Yes, you can, Bearfield.” Jill nodded with determination. She and Chris have been partners from the very beginning, and are far closer than ever after all they’ve been through.

“I really feel that Piers is alive. That we’re not looking for a body.” Chris said, with grit in his voice, and hands clenched to fists.

“Of course you do.  I know you’ll never give up.” Jill nodded in acknowledgement, even if deep down she doubted the notion.

“No Jill. I really mean it... and it’s probably not just wishful thinking…”

“Spit it out, Chris.” Jill saw the shadow of doubt in Chris’ eyes and understood.

“Piers… he injected himself with the enhanced strain of the C-virus.”

Jill was smiling and nodding along, then suddenly her face froze. “He what?”

Chris pressed his palm to his face and sighed. “See?”

Jill pursed her lips.  She could see why Chris was hurting so much now.  He wasn’t aching for himself, he was hurting on behalf of his partner.

“No, Chris. I get it. I do. Really.” She brushed the hair out of her face and held Chris’ hand in her own. His hand was still far warmer than hers.

“Was he in control of himself?” She asked gently, looking right at Chris’ eyes.

“He was fighting it hard and he preserved. Even right up until we parted- yes, he knew exactly what he’d been doing.”

“Did he try to attack you?”

“Nothing of the sort. He trapped me in the life pod alone precisely to stop that from happening.  Stupid kid.” Chris may have been cursing, but he was gently rubbing his thumb over the patch of fabric.

Jill smiled. “Then he’s already miles better than I was in my condition.  I was dominated and tried to kill you and Sheva after all.” Jill shrugged, thinking back to her three years in captivity and subsequent ones proving her innocence and allegiance.

“Well, he is and he isn’t Jill.  He… was at an advanced stage of mutation …” Chris said, biting his lip and holding his fist to his lips.

“I’m sorry…” Jill looked up to see a glint of moisture in Chris’ eyes.  Chris had rarely cried in front of anyone. “How bad?”

“He lost his right arm to Haos…” Chris withdrew the palm from Jill and buried his face in his hands. “The kid… he pushed me out of danger, but he got caught in my place.  Haos crushed his arm, sent him flying across the room. His arm was impaled on a spike of metal… then it was crushed by an iron gate.  He’s a sniper! To lose an arm like that… He… he was bleeding out, and Haos grabbed me.  I was on the verge of being crushed.  He did what he could, and injected himself with the virus to get me free.  He had a mutant arm, like a J’avo. He managed to have some bioelectricity power that could shoot and stun Haos. With that we managed to kill Haos for the second time. After that, the mutation spread, over his face, the right half of his body… I saw his ribs and organs sticking out of his skin… I…” He cradled his face and choked back a sound that sounded like sob. Those visions had only been far too vivid day and night. He could see Piers’ face and his broken, torn body when he was awake and when he was asleep. He needed to talk about it, if nothing else.

“Chris, I’m so, so sorry…” Jill ran her hand slowly and repetitively down Chris’ back. The revelation had hurt her deeply too. She had grown to care for Piers a lot, ever since he had been stepping in Chris’ shoes as acting team leader (ATL).  She knew he’d be her best agent and leader one day, and she was just as proud about Piers as Chris was.  She knew how hard Chris trained him, how much he looked out for him.  He was so young, so full of life, so full of promise.  To have that future dashed to pieces and thrown on the ground in your face. It was like parents burying their child. It was a fate worse than death.

“Chris, we will find him.  We will help him. The BSAA won’t give him up!” Jill threw her arms around Chris and pledged her support.

“I.. appreciate it Jill.  I know there will be many in the BSAA who may question that decision, so please help me when the time comes.

“I will. I think I’m the most qualified in our organisation to speak on that subject, and if nothing else, I think my recovery and return to active duty has helped shift a lot of that misplaced prejudice.” She nodded solemnly.

“Anyway, it’s close to lunch time and you must be sick of hospital food.  Let me take you out to something better. If I recall, Sichuan is still a haven for spicy food.”

“Thanks Jill, it’d be just like old times, partner.”

“I’ve got you covered, Bearfield.”


	7. Restored Peace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A pod had been found in Chinese waters as TerraSave arrives on location to assist with recovery operations.

_14 th July, 2013  
_ _Open sea in Chinese waters_

Chris and Jill sat anxiously on the rescue boat as they headed to the open sea. It was the first bit of news in a week about any signs of Piers.  The team had paged in saying they saw a white pod drifting in the sea off shore.

Chris had mixed emotions between anticipation, doubt and fear.  He had been following this type of leads for several days.  The destruction of Tatchi and Waiyip had meant there were lots of debris floating around shore and they had followed many leads, none productive. Each time he’d head out in hope that he’d finally see the form of his sniper, and each time he came back cursing, and spending the night reliving his nightmares.

He felt his palms sweating under his gloves, he was wiping them on his trousers every few minutes in wait.  He was finally discharged from the hospital and free to move, but still to avoid strenuous activity, and diving was definitely a no no.  Still, the pod was reported to float, and he liked the sound of a ‘pod’ far better than a ‘body.’

He was anxiously waiting at the helm of the boat, binoculars in hand with Jill at his side. Jill was a rock, she had seen his hopes dashed time after time, but was always there, always spurring him on, saying how her recovery took three years but it finally worked out.  Reminding him how Piers spent six months chasing every lead before getting him back. Two weeks was a walk in the park. Then again, every minute counts when Piers was lost at sea with no way of holding on.

“Captain, it’s up right ahead at 3!”

Chris aimed his binoculars and his heart gave a jump.  It was a small round capsule of white, floating.  He had initially thought the team meant a life pod, but this was much smaller.  Almost human in size.

As the boat neared his heart became disconcerted at the shade and colour of the object.  It was a translucent, clouded white with a film of translucent skin.  It was… just like what Haos’ skin looked like. The haunting spectre of his living nightmare.

Jill could sense his anxiety and she furrowed her brows as Chris reached for his gun.

“Chris, what’s wrong?”

“That… that looked like Haos’ skin!”… he stammered, feeling once again the weakness at confronting Haos again.  Was this another one of his daymare episodes? He had stared into that horrible translucent skull, been crushed by those pale white fingers far too many times. Was Haos still alive?

“Proceed with caution.  Prepare containment cage.” Jill nodded and took over commanding the team.  They had a cage on board, similar to those used to hold researchers to study sharks but with greater reinforcement.  It should be able to hold their strange cargo.

The team lowered the cage and entrapped the pod figure inside, gradually dragging it to the boat and raised it on deck.

Chris and Jill stood closer to look.  Despite having spent two weeks in the ocean, the capsule looked clean.  The skin of film was intact on the outside, and while the inside was cloudy with fluid, Chris could identify the familiar shade of tan and the unmistakable figure of a man curled up inside. They exchanged a look.  It must be Piers.

“Piers!” Jill held Chris up in his arms as she felt his strength drain from his body, and she got the men to hurry them back to shore, transferring the figure via airlift straight back to their hospital and research facility in Sichuan.

Uncertain how to proceed, they kept the pod containing Piers in an open tank in a sealed and quarantined chamber for now, surrounded by a cage until they determine that Piers was not infectious.  Chris was uncertain.  He was still scared that Piers would have drowned. He wondered what would happen if they cracked his ‘shell’ open and retrieved him.  Would he be ok? Would he recover? How was he breathing?

Through his biohazard suit, he studied the translucent egg shaped capsule with fascination.  Taking in every detail of his lieutenant he could see.  Piers was at rest.  His hair had grown out a bit as had his facial hair.  He couldn’t see the face very well but his eyes were closed, almost peaceful.  There was still an angry line of red stretching from neck to forehead on the face, but he could see the cracks that opened previously in the brow and neck had healed, and the threatening veins and network of vessels on his face had faded beneath normal, healthy skin.

Piers’ uniform was still largely intact, but he was concerned about Piers’ right side.  He remembered previously the skin had opened and exposed Piers’ ribs and organs to support the mutant limb. He tried to get a good look.  He couldn’t see the arm because it was surrounded with a thick hazy white, but it seemed to still be the same shape of the mutant appendage.  Piers’ side however seemed to have closed, and he saw new skin around the waist and shoulder.  Perhaps the virus was restoring him after all.  All in all, he had been hopeful at Piers’ recovery.  If nothing else, at least Piers was likely to be still alive.  His hair wouldn’t have kept growing otherwise.

“Captain Redfield, I’m Doctor Peng from the research hospital.  Please give us some space and time. We will need to run tests on the subject’s vitals.” A team of doctors came into the room, and he shook hands with the lead doctor, a bespectacled Chinese man in his 40’s.

“He’s not a subject. Call him Piers or Lt. Nivans. He’s my soldier. A proud member of the BSAA, a hero the world owes its safety to.” Chris gave a stern stare to the doctor. He’d be damned if they didn’t treat Piers with the humanity he deserved.

“Yes, Captain Redfield. We will look after Lt. Nivans.” The man gave a small nod and ushered Chris out of the room.

Chris sat with unease watching one instrument after another be delivered to the room.  They said something about non-invasive tests.  That sounded good. Just something to check Piers’ condition. He hoped the doctors could gather intel. That the news was good, that Piers could be fixed.

He paced up and down the corridor, feeling a rush of emotions, trying to figure out the millions of possibilities of how to proceed from here.  He was on edge, but he welcomed it. It was far more comforting than battling the horrors of his PTSD scenarios.

“Doctor Peng.” He greeted the head doctor as he finally stepped out after a while, with notes in a clipboard.  They sat in a discussion room with Jill as he briefed them on Piers’ condition.

“Colonel Valentine, Captain Redfield. These are the preliminary observations of our team so far.  The subject… I mean, Lt. Nivans seems to be in a stable condition, and there are signs of life. His hair and beard had grown, and we can detect heartbeat in the body, even if very slow.  His core temperature is still warm.  We see no sign of breathing, but that is to be expected in an aquatic environment.  The capsule seemed to be filled with thick fluid, however there is a vacuole, or perhaps I should call it an air pocket that developed in the capsule. We think this air pocket has developed over time and possibly through exposure to air.  Analysis of the gas had shown it to contain oxygen and carbon dioxide.”

“Does that mean Piers doesn’t need oxygen? Can he breathe underwater?”

“We believe that his lungs were filled with this viscous fluid within the capsule.  Without its support, any air bubbles in Lt. Nivan’s body would have burst and caused depressurisation.  As you know, pressure at deep depth of ocean is immense and any depressurisation would have exploded his lungs like balloon and killed him.”  
“He has fluid in his lungs?” Chris asked, bewildered. From all he knew fluid in the lungs was a very bad thing.

“Yes, it’s not strange as it sound. Babies have fluid in their lungs during pregnancy and they don’t use lungs to breathe.  The fluid clears before due date and during or after birth. We think this is actually the significant most reason why Lt. Nivans survive under the water for so long, and also survive the ascension and depressurisation from the depths of ocean. Given Lt. Nivan’s posture in the foetal position, we believe he is in a state similar to rebirth and regeneration, and he should be at peace.”

“Alright, do you know if Piers will recover on his own or is there anything we can do for him?”

“We are unsure at this stage. We think as the air pocket gets bigger eventually it will cause Piers to expel fluid form his lungs, and after that he will need to awaken from the capsule or risk suffocating.

“How long will this process take?” Chris asked, wringing his hands in anxiety.

“We think it may take a number of weeks to months.” The doctor said, checking his notes.  “In time if we monitor the size of the vacuole we could predict more accurately.”

“I… is there a way to wake Piers up?” Chris said, casting a glance to the room. He wanted his Lieutanent back, the sooner the better.

“It is possible, but we will need to be more prepared for treatment and to help him with transition if we do.  For now, I recommend we leave him as he is and monitor his vitals.  Captain Redfield, I believe he will recover, don’t worry.”

“Thank you doctor Peng, that means a lot.”

“I am no viral expert, we will still need a team to research and look into the possibilities of how to reverse his mutation and heal his wounds and… his arm in the long term. I suggest we put together a dedicated research team for this, Col. Valentine. Now please excuse me, I’ll need to direct my team to better monitor and look after Lt. Nivans.”

“Thank you doctor, we value your judgement and efforts.” Jill stood and shook his hand.

“Jill, I want our best people in the BSAA on this.” Chris said. “It wouldn’t just help Piers either. He has an advanced strain of the C-virus, it may help everyone else that Jakes’ antibodies don’t.

“I have our best man at Far East Branch on the way. I daresay he might be just the man to help us Chris. I’m also in touch with TerraSave and see if they have any experts on site that could help us out.”

“Thanks Jill.”

“Chris, I’m really happy for you and Piers.  Once more your optimism and trust in your partner had held out.  It is so good to see that Piers is alive, and I know he’ll make a full recovery. Look after yourself too, ok? I remembered how much Piers stressed himself out in Edonia thinking about you.  Don’t make him stress about you. If you weren’t yourself and together he wouldn’t be able to recover quickly.” She gave a gentle smile and a light pat on Chris’ back. She was one of the few who have figured old Bearfield out through and through.

“Haha, this is your new reverse psychology isn’t it Jill? Don’t worry, I’m already feeling a hell of a lot better to be in the same room as him already.” For the first time in weeks, Chris finally managed a full hearted smile, and he could finally breathe freely without the self-inflicted prison over his conscience.

* * *

 

Knock knock knock.

Chris could already tell who it was just by the knocking.

“Claire? Come in!”

“Chris!” The genial sister with auburn hair ran into the room and threw herself into Chris’ arms.

“Claire!” They shared a strong bear hug that only two Redfields are capable of, studying and looking over each other.

“Oh goodness, it’s been ages!” Claire said, pushing her chin length hair out of her eyes after Chris had rubbed his palm all over it.  “You’re still so bulky, bro.” She laughed. Ever since her brother bulked up in his thirties she had to do a double take and check that this was the same man as the medium built young officer she had grown up with.

“Had to stay strong, these BOWs only get tougher each time.” He smiled. “And look at you, still so thin and pretty. It’s been too long, Claire.”

“Yeah, last time we caught up was around summer last year when you brought Piers to visit me. Man, time’s flown.”

“Oh hey, you brought a friend!” Chris looked over his shoulder to see Claire’s companion smiling quietly, leaning at the door way in a grey and pink jumper, short denim pants and dark leggings.

“Moira! What a pleasant surprise!” His grin broadened as he remembered Moira, Barry’s eldest daughter.  “Wow, I haven’t seen you since 2011! You’re all grown up now! How’s TerraSave and working with Claire?”

“Hi Chris, it’s good to see you too. Claire has been good at showing me the ropes. Don’t worry, I can definitely hold my own now.” She smiled and tried to leave a quick peck on his cheeks on tip toes, but Chris had to bend down for her to do so.  Chris had met Moira since she was 9 when he worked with Barry, and they had spent a bit of time growing up together, going to family barbeques and the like.  Ever since the loss of their parents in a car accident when Chris was 18, Barry had been somewhat of a mentor to both himself and Claire, and their families are close.

“Well, you both pulled through the Wesker attack in 2011, must be itching for some more action this time?” Chris said.  Much as he wished Claire would take on a safer role, he knew deep down she was just as stubborn and determined to make a difference and help out as he would. Having Moira by her side was a good change at least.  They would look out for each other, and Claire always has been a big sister to those like Moira, Polly and Sherry Birkin.

“Yeah, we’re doing a lot of clean up in Tatchi.  It’s harrowing Chris. We’ve both been through so much, but to see an entire city turned and infected, along with so many BSAA agents…” she shook her head.”

“Yeah, the BSAA could really use your help right now. Jill and I are very grateful you guys could come out here.”

“From what Jill said if it wasn’t for you and Piers it wouldn’t just be two cities, but at least more than 15 locations with biohazard outbreaks in Asia-Pacific.  The world owes you both a lot.” Claire said, sharing a meaningful gaze with her brother.

“Still, if only we managed to shoot down that missile…” Chris tried not to be haunted by what he couldn’t save, but he would always live on with a shimmer of regret even after giving it their best.

“I heard about Piers Chris.  I’m so sorry.” She hugged her brother in comfort. Of all people, she and Jill were the only ones who noticed how close the pair became.  They had never moved beyond a strong friendship and working relationship, but to Claire there had always a lot more to that bond taking root. She had always been encouraging Piers to get closer, treating him as a brother because he was exactly who Chris needed in his life. It saddened her to see Piers hurt, and she ached with Chris knowing how much Piers meant to him.

“Still, the worse is over. He’s alive. We found him today.” Chris squeezed her shoulder, and finally managing a grin.

“I’ll need your best anti-viral researchers, if you have them around. Between the three of us, Piers had injected himself with an advanced strain of the C-virus to save me, and to stop a BOW that could spread the C-virus worldwide.  He gave it his all, but lost his arm, and the C-virus regenerated it to a mutant appendage… He paused, lost in thought. “We need to find a way to stabilise him, to ensure he won’t be taken over by the virus, and reverse the mutation.”

Claire took a deep breath. It was a tough situation, but they have been fighting BOWs long enough to know it would get personal.  She and Moira were infected themselves with t-phobos virus and barely managed to suppress it.

“Don’t worry Chris. Claire and I overcame our infection, I’m sure Piers would be able to pull it off too. He’s the most capable guy I’d ever known!” Moira said, remembering his prowess at physical combat her dad’s praises of him at the gun ranges. “Next to you and Claire, of course.” She added with a slight smile and gave a small encouraging nod to Chris.  She had once been a rebellious and troubled girl, but ironically it took the viral survival incident to find herself and mend her past with Barry and everyone else. She knew what it meant to be infected and shunned, to live in constant fear and uncertainty.

“Well, when Piers wakes up, I think he’ll find you two to be good company.” Chris found himself smiling. Claire and Moira always had a way of cheering him up. He knows Piers would need a heavy dose of that after all he had to deal with.

“Don’t worry bro, I see Piers as part of my family, I’ll do what I can for you both. My researchers will team up with you guys once they’re here.”

“Chris. Hang in there. He’ll get his fucking ass back, you hear me?” A tear ran down Moira’s cheek, and she left the room.

Chris slept without nightmares for the first time that night since his arrival in China.

* * *

 

The door had barely come to a close when Moira found herself full blown bursting to tears. Chris Redfield never knew he would have someone who understood his despair as fully as a girl named Moira Burton.

Poor Chris. Poor Piers.

She didn’t expect to have been so moved by their story. She had always played things cool, stay smart and sassy, pretend to be detached and unfazed by anything just so things like real feelings didn’t bother her.

Yet… it was something about Chris’ story, about Piers’ story that moved her from within.  It... it was part of her life.  See didn’t have to keep her distance with either of them.  She had adopted Chris as an awesome older brother and ideal father figure ever since they met when she was 9.  Unlike Barry, who was old and callous, Chris was young, cool, charming, confident, carefree, smart, and easily proved himself at work to be her father’s equal.  He always had time for a kind word and a short conversation, always asked her about things, about school, and he’d slip her pocket money or a cool magazine or show her how to throw a real punch when Barry wasn’t looking.  After the incident with Polly, although they didn’t see each other as often being in separate countries, Chris was still the closest thing Moira had to a dependable father figure. Boys at school were immature dildoheads who either tried to bully her or take advantage of her. Chris was the only decent person of the male identity that reassured her that not all men are complete dicks.

As she and Chris grew up, he was growing ever stronger physically, mentally. He was achieving more and more in his life, and he was steadily bulking up to be a giant hulk of a man. One who had a body of steel, a strength of diamonds yet a heart that was still as soft as a bed of flowers. Chris was still strong, but she knew he must have been hurt so deeply within. She couldn’t forget the weariness on his face, the glint of uncertainty and despair in his eyes. She had been seeing that in her mirror every day for the longest time.

She sobbed and dabbed her eyes as Claire gently pulled her to a room and sat her down, running a hand down her back with a tear in her own eyes. The tears didn’t stop. Now that she knew the whole story of Chris’ survival it was fucking insane.

She knew what it was like to have lost all your colleagues, real people you were getting to know one by one in front of your eyes, their features and bodies turning into dreadful abominations while there was nothing you could do but stand, and watch, and fight them to the death. Gina, Gabe, Pedro, Neil. They banded together, depended on each other for survival. Instead they were all torn apart, all dying the most horrific of deaths, some of them by her own hands.

She knew what it was like to spend six months in the middle of fucking nowhere, a heart ruled by fear, not knowing what the fuck was going on, what the fuck was going to happen, if there would ever be anyone to drag you out of a mess that you didn’t ask to be put into. It sucked that every day was a fight for survival, you’re living, but you have no clue what for, you’re fighting, but you’re losing hope and value in yourself as a person. Each day was life sneering at you, reminding yourself how forgotten and unvalued you were. If Barry… if dad didn’t came and got her out, she would have still been there, fighting, hating herself, hating life, regretting she wasn’t a better daughter when she still could…

Then there was Piers. Piers smoking hot Nivans. She cried, because somewhere in her heart she’d hoped to really get to know the guy. If there was a boyfriend shop, she’d ask for the Piers Nivans model in a heartbeat.  Meeting him was like meeting young Chris again, and he was cool, charming, cute as a button. He knew as much about guns as Barry did, he could hold his own in a fight with Chris easily. Both of those were fucking amazing, and Moira could relate to him. He was sassy, sharp, witty, just like she was, never missing an opportunity to put Barry or Chris down. He was funny, but also had that aloof detachedness that came with being so goddamn excellent at what he did. It was irresistible. She wouldn’t admit it, but she had a crush on Piers. It was a blow to hear the trauma he had to get through. She hoped he’d make a full recovery, he’ll have to.

She clutched onto Claire’s hand.  She knew full well the significance of hope and promise to have someone with you who didn’t give up. Someone who came to you in your darkest hour and pull you out from hell’s literal shithole when nobody else bothered to give a fuck, even if they were six months late. Dad eventually came to find her. Piers eventually came to find Chris. They both fought six months of heartache and uncertainty to find them, but they never gave up, believing they were fighting on, believing they were worth it. Moira didn’t know what she’d do if she lost her dad to Wesker, if he sacrificed himself for her sake.  She knew he wouldn’t think twice if the situation demanded it. But it’ll break her.  She’d be all kinds of fucked up that killing the Wesker bitch was only the beginning.

_“What are you doing? Open the door!”_

Sacrifice. A part of her heart ripped open as she remembered her time with Evgeny. The old hardass who saved her from certain death under rubble. The dinosaur wouldn’t let her give up. Who showed her tough love even if she didn’t want to hear it, who slapped her back into shape despite her stubbornness and rebellion, even if she did nothing but fuck up time after time. And then, the torture of seeing that person make the harshest sacrifice. The horrors of your once dependable ally and partner locking you out in safety, away from themselves. Choosing to face imminent death alone. That without even as much as a word, they were asking you to live on, to keep going, to survive, to get away and have all the richness of life, even if they were to stare death in the face, dying, rotting away in a place where nobody else would ever know or care… Piers didn’t deserve that. He didn’t fucking deserve to have to give up all of his young brilliant life for the sake of the world.

Chris was her brother; Piers was her crush. Sitting here in the middle of China, Moira finally came to grips with why she had been so touched.  She was damned lucky.  She had been in Chris’ place. She had Evgeny, who pulled her from the brink of death. Who believed in her, like Piers did to Chris. She had Barry who rescued her and brought her back to the land of the living, like Piers did to Chris. She lost Evgeny like Chris lost Piers, but she still had Claire, Natalia, Polly, people who loved her. Chris looked so alone. He looked so sad. She’d never seen Chris that sad, and she wished, more than anything, that there was ever something she could do for the older brother she’d always been proud to have.

“Claire, I’m so sorry.” She held on to the younger Redfield.

“Moira.  Thank you.” Claire gave a weak smile and hugged her close. They’ll all be here for Chris and Piers.


	8. Cherished Memoir

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris meets the man who would go on to find answers for Piers' condition.

It was morning.  For the first time, Chris Redfield took notice of the greenery out of his room on to way to check on Piers. Piers was finally with him. He’d just have to get him out and get him well.

“Hey Piers. Can you hear me? It’s Chris, your Captain.” It was weird at first, like talking to himself, but then Chris stared at the face in the pod, reminding himself that Piers was finally here, that he didn’t die at the bottom of the ocean, and he felt suddenly that he had a lifetime of stories to tell him.

“Piers. You silly bugger. If you didn’t push me into the pod we could have done this weeks earlier. I… I suppose you were right. I was reckless, I fell apart, I screwed up again and again. I have been haunted in my dreams and haunted in my nightmares by you, by Ada Wong, by Haos, but… I’m making it through. I told myself I won’t give up on you. I still won’t.  Come back to me, partner. I need you after all this.”

He went on, speaking whatever he had on his mind. Piers wasn’t really much of a listener at times, just as Chris wasn’t much of a talker. He’d interrupt often and chime in with his thoughts and judgements. Sometimes he’s right, sometimes he’s annoying, but Piers was Chris’ conscience and always offered some right words, whether he wanted to hear it or not. For once Piers stayed silent, so Chris just kept on. He needed release too, to organise his thoughts and feelings after regaining a lifetime’s worth of memories over a couple of weeks. He spoke about gratitude, of horrors, of loss, of his pain, of his relief, anything that came to his mind. Sometimes he laughed, sometimes he looked over the lieutenant’s face with regret, but it was a first step towards his own healing.

He gave a pause, and stared warmly over Piers’ pod when he heard the knock on the door.

He opened the door and found a young Asian man with a familiar face in a shirt with the BSAA’s insignia. He’d seen him before surely, but he couldn’t remember at all.

“Good morning, Captain Redfield, my name is Kaison Wu and I’m a lead researcher studying the progress of C-virus infections in the BSAA at Far East Branch. I heard from Colonel Valentine that she was putting together a team of researchers for studying and reversing the C-virus and I volunteered to answer the call.” The man was polite and professional, and he smiled gently at Chris at their introduction.

“Dr. Wu, I’m glad to have you on-board with us. The Far East Branch had been phenomenon in their anti-viral research particularly with the C- virus. Your assistance in this is greatly appreciated.” Chris shook his hand warmly as he studied his figure. His hair was short and parted on the left, and he stood half a head shorter than himself with a medium build.  He had a look of scholarly wisdom on his face, and didn’t seem to be a day over 30.

“I feel as if we’ve met somewhere...” Chris said, scratching his head and feeling slightly embarrassed. It was easy for everyone else to recognise him as the legendary Chris Redfield, but he was never that good at remembering names.  If anything, Piers would have known.

“Yes, you remembered correctly… we met last autumn, at the funeral of my best friend, fellow researcher, and Far East Branch’s best agent, Merah Biji.” He looked visibly sad at the mentioning of her passing.

“Kaison! Of course. It’s coming back to me. I’m sorry for our loss. Merah is such a smart and independent agent and we have been a great team. Both Piers and I owe her so much for her sacrifices for us and for the BSAA.” Chris said, recalling the eager face of the stout young woman who assisted with them when they studied the outbreak at Marhawa Academy. She was brilliant as she was capable, and was a joy to be around.  Piers and her had become fast friends even in their few months of working together in the Far East, and it was her who pushed Piers out of the way and took the fatal stab of the Lepotitsa attack as they were about to escape from the biohazard outbreak. Without her sacrifice, he would have lost Piers that day.

“Why don’t you take a seat with me? We’ve got a bit to catch up on.” He gestured to an empty chair in the room.

He sighed as he recalled the day they had met.  Chris, Piers, Kaison and three other agents from Far East branch had pledged to be pallbearers for Merah at her funeral service. It was a simple but visually stunning memorial, walking up the green pasture along a trail of white rose petals, and her casket was covered with a bed of white calla lilies as they paid tribute to her brilliance and sacrifice.  Merah Biji, like Piers Nivans, were the top agents of their branches, full of hope and promise as leaders and guardians of tomorrow, but they were claimed so young, right as they were blossoming into their prime. Piers took her loss very hard, as did Chris himself.  Chris feared that one day it’d be just them old hats left with nobody else to pass the mantle onto.

“Colonel Valentine had briefed me last night. I’ve come to assess Piers’ situation and do the best I can for him, Chris.” Kaison had given Chris a moment to recollect his thoughts, and Chris nodded in appreciation.

“I remembered that Piers and Merah were very close.  Merah had told me how much she admired Piers, and he was the only one who bested her in hand to hand combat.  She said it was always so safe, so natural working alongside both of you, and she had in turn learnt a lot from your examples.”

“Merah is a gifted agent. I’m a soldier, a captain, I know about frontline combat and fighting BOWs, but Merah, she was first a scientist, a brilliant researcher who had made a significant contribution to our understanding of viral adaptations in hosts. She took the challenge to put herself through vigorous combat training and went from being the weakest agent to the strongest. She is an inspiration to every combat and non-combat member of the BSAA and Piers and I still remember her fondly.” Chris nodded.

“Yeah, Merah and I had undertaken our doctorate studies together. I still remember the day she told me she was going to train as a field agent.  Nobody else thought she was serious. She was a light and small girl who spent hours in the lab, but I knew she could always accomplish whatever she had put her mind to. She inspired me a lot, and I had a lot to live up to after her passing. In some small way, continuing to study and reverse the pain from the C-virus would be a way to carry on her legacy, to honour her memory.” Kaison had stared out the window thinking back of earlier times. Merah was the BSAA’s first casualty to the C-virus. He’d sworn to defeat the virus for her sake.

“Captain Redfield, I’m very sorry to hear about Piers’ condition, and you have my word that I will do everything I can to help reverse his mutation and get things under control. I have been studying the C virus ever since the Marhawa attack, following its spread and evolution in Edonia and now the province of Lanshiang.  With the development of Anti-C from the UN last week I’m sure we can come up with a way to treat Piers.” He said.

“Call me Chris, Kaison. Piers and I would both treat you as our friend and partner as we did Merah. I know certainly I’d depend a lot on you for advice and help. I know nothing about viral infections and you’re our only hope. Piers is in a strange state.  He’s in a capsule of some sort. He seems alive, and he seems himself, but beyond that we know nothing about his condition.  I haven’t personally seen anything like his form, all except Haos, the bioweapon that Piers and I had fought.”

“If you don’t mind, Chris, I would like to examine Piers and take some samples for study.”

“Go ahead. Dr. Peng ran some preliminary non-invasive tests yesterday but there weren’t able to confirm much.”

“Yes, I had checked over those reports.  I’d like to take a few samples through a syringe. I think it’ll be ok for Piers.” He said and got out his kit and gear.

“I’m not sure if... if the infection is airborne or spreadable through the fluid.” Chris warned. Haos was supposedly able to create large amounts of virus.

“I’ll take the necessary precautions.” Kaison said, as he changed into a set of biohazard gear in the room.

Chris watched with fascination as he took out some thick syringes and withdrew some viscous fluid samples slowly. The fluid seemed more like a jelly and was tough to draw through a needle.  At first he was worried that the capsule would puncture and even deflate, but it seemed to hold on and seal tightly as soon as the needle was withdrawn.  He sampled the fluids at various depths from the membrane and stored them in various vials and containers. He also sampled the gas inside the vacuoles too.

“Can you tell me everything you know more about Piers’ infection, the circumstances and how it developed?” Kaison labelled and sealed the samples in container after container, removed his suit and finally turned to Chris with a tablet in hand.

Chris nodded and went over everything he know, from the vial in Ada Wong’s possession, the fight with Haos, Piers’ injury on his arm, his circumstances of injection, and Haos’ battle and moment of defeat. He mentioned how Piers’ mutation had changed and spread after defeating Haos, and his losing control at the pods, and by the time he spoke of Piers’ decision to lock himself out, his eyes had moistened again describing the emotional scene and recalling everything he could about Piers.

“Thank you Chris... I’m sorry, I understand that Piers means a lot to you, to the BSAA. If nothing else, I’m glad we have relocated him and he is still with us.  As long as he’s alive, we have hope.” Kaison said.

“Jill has allowed my team to transfer to the research labs here while we get the rest of the instruments ready.  I’m going to run a quick test on the samples and update you with what you know.  Meanwhile, I think in conjunction with studying the virus, we need to investigate exactly why this Ada Wong made this virus and carried it with her and who it was intended for.  Piers’ symptoms are like nothing either of us had seen, and the capsule it developed is similar to the Haos creature you mention and not the chrysalid of normal C-virus mutations. That is actually very special- if Piers had turned into a chrysalid his organic matter would have been significantly altered and reformed to a level 5 mutation- this meant he would have lost any sense of who he was.  The fact that he still presents as a humanoid figure without further mutation gives me a lot of confidence that we can fight this thing.”

“Appreciate it, Kaison. You have my direct line, and you can report in anytime. I’m putting a lot of trust in you. If there’s anything we can do for you, I will use my clearance to get it. We already have teams going through Neo Umbrella’s offices to hunt down more details so we’ll keep filling you in.”

“Thank you Chris, I’ll do my best for you and Piers, for Merah’s sake, if nothing else.” He smiled and left the room.

Chris sat in the room, looking over Piers again. Now that Piers is back, it’s time to gather information and get some real answers. He’s going to need to call in all his favours and get to the bottom of this, for his sake, for Piers, for the BSAA and for their collective future. Ada’s plans will have to be unravelled.

“Jill. I think we need to launch a full scale investigation and debrief of the situation from Tall Oaks and China since 2013. Between Leon, myself and Jake and Sherry we need to put together all the details of who Ada Wong really was and what she was doing.  I feel we’re far from getting to the bottom of this, and whatever virus Piers injected himself with, there must be something greater behind it. We need to know who the virus was intended for and what it does to bring Piers back.”

“Alright Chris. I’ll be in contact with Ingrid Hannigan at FOS (Field Operation Support) to try to put a whole story together.”

“This is going to be bigger than all of us.  We will need our most trusted people and agents on the case. Our organisations will finally need to actually work together for all this.”


	9. Unveiling Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The key details and motives Carla Radame’s plans are finally pierced together and unveiled between ten key players.

_17 th July 2013, 2300  
Joint agent meeting across China and the USA_

Jill was able to secure a joint video conference involving all members present and they all sat on a holographic roundtable via virtual projection.

“Good morning/ afternoon/ evening everyone. I am Lieutenant Colonel Jill Valentine of the BSAA. Thank you for being available at short notice. I am chairing this meeting on behalf of the BSAA towards understanding the recent C-virus induced Biohazard outbreaks across Edonia, Tall Oaks, USA and Lanshiang, China. As we all know these C-virus outbreaks represent some of the most potent and serious incidents of bioterrorism we had all faced to date. It has been and still is a global threat, and we are still going dealing with the aftermath. We do not know if there are further attacks launched. Our adversaries are certainly capable of that, and the better informed we are of all relevant intel, the better prepared we will be for the next incident, so I thank you in advance for your personal participation as well as any advances for co-operations behind our respective agencies. We are doing this to launch a full scale investigation towards the true intents and parties responsible, and all information discussed must be kept classified at Top Secret level or higher.

With us in this meeting from the BSAA we have myself, Lt. Col. Jill Valentine, Captain Chris Redfield and lead C-virus researcher Dr. Kaison Wu. We have Agent Leon Kennedy and Sherry Birkin from the Division of Security Operations (DSO), Agent Helena Harper from the US Secret Service (USSS), Agent Jake Muller under the protection of the DSO, Program leader Claire Redfield from TerraSave and Agent Ingrid Hannigan from the FOS. As most of us have crossed paths one way or another, I’ll spare the introductions and small talk and get straight onto it. Please spare personal feelings for now and focus on business.” Jill paused and gave a smiled seeing Claire and Sherry wave excitedly at each other while Leon gave a wink to Claire, and Jake and Chris were still furrowing brows at each other.

“First order of business. The Tall Oaks attack. Leon, Helena, can you fill us in.”

Leon spoke up. “Yes, Jill. Based on our investigations between Helena, Ingrid, Ada Wong and myself, we believe the Tall Oaks attacks were carried out by Derek C. Simmons, National Security Advisor on the 29th of June to stop President Benford’s intent to reveal the truth behind the Raccoon City Incident. Based on the information we have of Simmon’s orders he had planted a number of Lepotitsa throughout the city to spread large amounts of the airborne C-virus and resulted in over 90% of the city of 70,000 being infected, along with my close friend President Benford. Following the wide scale infection, Simmons ordered a Sterilization Operation to take place and the city was bombed from the air. From our investigations of the catacombs under the Tall Oaks Church, a mysterious organisation known as Simmons’ Family, or simply ‘The Family’ seemed to be providing the resources and means of this, as a way of controlling global order, hierarchy and stability even through illegal means. We encountered Simmons and The Family in China at the Kwun Lung building, but shortly after we met Simmons had been injected with a special C-virus dart from a J’avo, presumably from Ada’s orders and he began to mutate shortly after. He mutated through a large number of forms and at times reverted back to his humanoid form. He seemed to retain his mental faculties and reason until he was severely wounded. While Helena and I fought the mutated form of Simmons, he seemed to have been abandoned by the Family and his sanity gradually slipped at the cost of increasing his power, and he eventually died at the hands of Ada Wong, Helena and myself, and was impaled on the obelisk at the Quad Tower at Waiyip.”

“Ada Wong…” Chris shook his head at mention of her name.

“Jill, I am seeing a request from Ada Wong to join the panel discussion” Ingrid interrupted.

“How did she get hold of our network? This isn’t safe—“

“I can vouch for Ada, and her intel is vital for all of us.” Leon said. “After all, this is all virtual anyway, you can’t kill her Chris.” He motioned for Chris to relax after he leaned forward in his seat at the name. He had been haunted by her deeds and memories for too long.

“Alright Ingrid, patch her in.” Jill said.

“Greetings. Boys, how disappointing for you to be talking about a lady behind her back. Fortunately, I haven’t missed too much. I believe we are putting together… the pieces of Ada Wong’s plans regarding the Lanshiang attack?” The voice was still sly and mysterious, but it had a warmth that the red scarved Ada had lacked.

“I’m sure you are all confused as anyone else about Ada Wong’s involvement. I’ll start by saying that I am the real Ada Wong, if such a person exists, and that the Ada Wong behind Neo Umbrella, behind the Marhawa, Edonia and Lanshiang attacks was actually a doppelganger, created by Derek C. Simmons.”

“What! An Ada Wong doppelganger?” Chris pounded his fist on the desk. This changes everything he’d known of the situation.

“Yes, as strange as it sounds, hear me out for a moment. For a number of years ‘Project Ada’ had been an initiative of Derek C. Simmons to create a doppelganger of me for himself, for whatever personal reason that may entail. You can imagine my... displeasure at the finding. The week of the Tall Oaks attack, Leon, Helena and myself have seen a video titled ‘Happy Birthday, Ada Wong’ which documented Clone Ada’s birth from a Chrysalid in Simmons’ laboratories. Based on evidence I’ve gathered, the clone involved testing thousands of subjects in which they were turned into a chrysalid and injected with C-virus containing my DNA.  It took many failed experiments before finding one whose genetic structure matched mine. The subject’s name was Carla Radames, and ironically, she was the one who had created the C-virus in the first place. This occurred back in 2009.

I believe that Carla was indoctrinated and trained by Simmons to believe she was the real Ada Wong, but at least part of her conscience and identity had reawakened shortly after. Looking at Neo Umbrella’s files, Carla had founded Neo Umbrella in 2010 under Ada Wong and kept it a secret from Simmons, and I believe Neo Umbrella’s activities were focused on destroying the control and order of Simmon’s Family. This was made clear in a broadcast she made on the carrier which Chris, Piers and I overheard. While you guys were chasing down Carla on the aircraft carrier, so was I, and of course, some of you mistook me as her, and her as me.” Chris met her gaze, and she finally gave him a look of accepted understanding.

“In reality, both attacks in Tall Oaks and Lanshiang were executed by Carla and Simmons to thwart and destroy each other’s plans. The world just happened to be caught between their ambitions. Simmons wanted to preserve the current state of power represented by the USA, and Carla wanted to destroy Derek and his Family by destroying the world.”

“If I may interrupt” Kaison raised a hand, “You’re saying Carla mutated into a cloned form of you by injection of a C-virus carrying your DNA to a chrysalid?”

“Yes, something of the sort. It is known that most direct injections of a C-virus will result in a J’avo or further cases of infection. This was not the case with Carla as she was still fully human, as far as we know. Furthermore, it is likely that as a result of Project Ada, Carla had developed a special case of immunity from the C-virus.”

“That made sense,” Chris said, recalling how Carla had exposed herself to airborne C-virus at the Marhawa Academy to no ill effect.

Ada Wong continued. “I have retrieved documents suggesting that Carla had four research projects lined up involving the C-virus and the creation of bioweapons. I will forward this intel to Jill and Chris later. I believe Carla Radames was running her own version of ‘Project Ada’, also titled Project A and executed as Plan A. In Plan A she intended to re-inject herself with a new version of the C-virus, one she is not immune to, in order to give herself advanced capabilities for retaining power in a post-apocalyptic world. I see in her notes that the new C-virus would also enable the subject to mutate without going to a chrysalid form, so that property must have been of some significance to her plans.”

“The enhanced C-virus. That must be why she was developing all this!” Chris said, and Kaison took notes on his tablet.

“Chris, you and Piers witnessed Carla being shot by the Family on the carrier. You may have believed that she had died then while you two shut down the AA guns and missiles on the nearby carrier. That may be true, but when I approached Carla, I found that prior to her death she had injected herself with the Enhanced C-virus, and she had reawakened and mutated into a very strange and powerful slime form. In this amorphous form she merged her cells onto the aircraft carrier to form a colossal living entity; she was able to send out spores or humanoid projections of herself. By then her sanity was questionable, and her interest was only to destroy the world. She believed herself to be the real Ada Wong and made it her personal mission to kill me, and in her words, to become the ‘queen of the new world’.”

“Ada… I never knew… how did you get through all that?” Leon asked, eyes filled with concern.

Ada gave a slight smile, “I tried escaping through the carrier as Carla penetrated through the corridors. Eventually she had manifested herself above the liquid nitrogen tank storage. I was able to puncture enough of the tanks to freeze her manifestation and shatter her form to pieces. The carrier exploded and I believe it was sinking as Chris and Piers shot down the missiles and disabled the nearby aircraft carrier. I escaped on a chopper to Tatchi where I covered you and Helena, and eventually the three of us fought the powerful mutated form of Simmons.”

“I think it’s all starting to come together now.” Leon said, looking at Chris. “See, Ada is a key witness.”

“I’ll give you that Leon, but this Carla… was she really dead after her mutation?” Chris still saw red at the woman who killed all his team and inflicted so much pain on Piers.

“The aircraft carrier exploded and sank, but we’ll never know for sure. We know nothing about the enhanced C-virus except it is supremely powerful, and beyond the likes of anything we have imagined, if what Simmon’s and Carla’s transformations are anything to go by.” Ada said.

Chris and Kaison exchanged a silent, worried look. That was not good news at all.

“In addition to Plan A, she also has plan C, another version of “Project Ada” where she has attempted to create or clone an individual with a C-virus injection. I saw a video footage of this where she used a male research assistant as the subject, and called the results ‘her greatest creation yet.” I had found information on this, including a chrysalid in a lab in the Quad Tower, and I burnt the place down but I have forwarded her personal note to Jill and she can forward it to the rest of you. I’m sorry, but it was a crime against humanity to clone any individual. I have no identity of who she was trying to re-create. Assuming that was the only chrysalid she kept, Plan C should have been shut down, but judging from Carla’s schemes there may have been a spare chrysalid or even a decoy.”

“She was creating another clone? I wonder who it could be?” Sherry spoke up.

“Sherry, you and Jake were part of Carla’s project B and Plan B. That plan was to create a vaccine for the C-virus for distribution to Neo Umbrella personnel so they would remain unaffected by a global viral release. Neo Umbrella personnel were supposedly given orders to withdraw from the infected areas and regroup within safe zones, but we have no intelligence regarding those locations. At the very least, the uninfected personnel at the Quad Tower site would have survived even if the rest of the city became infected with the virus. However, Simmons discovered the Quad Tower site after his infection, and had caused tremendous damage to the facility in retribution to Carla, so whether that impacted on Neo Umbrella’s plans are uncertain at this stage. It seemed that once the research team found Jake’s blood they developed the antibodies easily and used that to create materials for both plan A and plan C.”

“You’re saying they used Jake’s blood to make the enhanced C-virus?” Chris asked, hungry for any detail to save Piers.

“Yes, Simmons was the one who ordered Carla to capture Jake and ensure Sherry’s survival, but the fact of their capture were not known to Simmons until July 1st. I’m no expert, but I believe Jake’s blood was instrumental to Neo-Umbrella for two reasons. The first was for creating a c-virus vaccine to protect their personnel, and the second for enhancing the C-virus specifically to bypass Carla’s innate resistance to the C-virus.”

Kaison and Chris exchanged another worried look. Jake’s blood had been their hope to save Piers all along.

“Plan D, as we know, had already been carried out. Chris, I believe you can fill us in about that.” Ada said.

Chris gave a small shook of his head and spoke up. “Yes. Plan D began with the launch of C-virus laden missiles towards 15 cities in the Asia-Pacific to send the world into chaos. Piers and I were able to disable or shoot down all except one missile which had a built in fail safe. It reactivated and shot into Tatchi.” He said, and looked across at Leon at resignation.

Leon continued. “Helena and I were on the fringe of Tatchi when the missile disintegrated in the air. The city was covered with a blue smog of viral agents, and everyone became zombies, including the BSAA ground team. An uninfected BSAA team were able to escort us to the Quad Tower where they were gathering evacuees, but Simmons was already there, and we had no choice but to put him down.”

Ada held a palm to interrupt "Yes, ironically, the BSAA did not know the evacuees were being sent directly to Neo Umbrella's headquarters, but the Neo Umbrella facility was an infection free zone because of Plan B. My guess is that after he was shot by Carla Simmons sought revenge, and he headed to Neo Umbrella hoping to confront Carla as well as destroy the entire facility. It just so happened that we kept running into him. Ironically, that was the place where he finally died."

“The next part of Plan D was the activation and release of the Haos monster which was triggered by Carla’s death, and it seemed to be able to multiply in the ocean once it reached the surface, and spread the airborne virus to all corners of the world within days.” Chris continued.

“At Leon’s request through the FOS, Piers and I were sent to rescue Jake and Sherry from the underwater facility, and the four of us were together when the Haos monster awakened from the Chrysalid. If I recall, the entire facility was built to enable the development of Haos.” He caught the glances of Jake and Sherry.

“Chris, I’m sorry we couldn’t have stayed to help. We were chased by the Ustanak at the facility and we narrowly escaped by shooting it in the lava and getting out from a cargo lift. Everything was exploding around us.” She looked at Jake and smiled. “That thing refused to die…”

“Still, Haos looked really scary, I was hoping the whole time that you and Piers would be ok.” She gave an apologetic smile again before catching Claire’s eye for her to relax.

Chris shook his head in defeat. “Unfortunately Haos was more than a match for me and Piers. It had some truly remarkable regenerative capabilities. We killed it first, but then the facility started to collapse and we tried to escape through the tunnels. Haos regenerated and caught up with us, and Piers sustained a grievous injury trying to protect me and lost his right arm.” He took a deep breath. He could trust everyone at the table, except Jake, but from what Claire had mentioned it was largely due to Jake’s cooperation for them to have anti C so quickly. Besides, he will need all of their help to find ways to treat Piers.

“Piers, I’m so sorry.” Sherry buried her face in her hands.

“What I am about to share is highly classified. With no other options left, Pier injected himself with the last sample of the enhanced C-virus that we retrieved from Carla, and developed powers to overcome Haos. We finally managed to kill Haos, but Piers’ condition was worsening. He was still conscious and in control, but his right arm and right eye along with the right part of his body had mutated in a manner similar to a J’avo.

Against my wishes and orders, Piers had chosen to keep himself at the underwater facility and send me away in the escape pod in case he became fully infected and lost control. I didn’t take it well. Chris Redfield never gave up on a partner.” He stopped and shook his head, and Claire reached a hand for support.

Chris collected himself and looked up. “The good news is, we have just found Piers this week. We don’t know how best to treat him, but I’m not giving up hope that he can make a full recovery. As we are all in this together, I hope each of you can help me as you are able to provide us with any facts and reports of the enhanced C-virus so Kaison, our research team leader here can try to reverse the mutation. The world owes Piers for what he did.”

“Piers Nivans is a top operative and he has played a key role in halting Carla’s plans. I’ll send updates and files through as I have them.” Ada Wong said. Though she wasn’t directly responsible, she still felt she owed the pair for her clone causing them so much pain and tragedy. Ultimately, helping the BSAA would help clear her own name from all of Simmons' troubles.

“Chris, Jake and I will do anything to help you. You can draw out more of Jake’s blood, get the antibodies, maybe they will help. I feel so bad that we didn’t stay and help, maybe if we were with you fighting Haos… Piers… Piers would have been ok.” She wiped the corner of her eye with her sleeve.

“Supergirl... you can’t just volunteer my blood in for anyone…” Jake put a hand on Sherry’s shoulder but look at Chris with a grouch. “Still, what Sherry said is true. Look, the pup and I might not have been off to the best start, but he’s a good man for taking down Haos that way he did and I’ll try to get on his good side. Redfield still needs someone to keep him in check. Give us a yell if you need us.”

“Chris, I remembered that our blood was very important to Neo Umbrella since our capture in Edonia and our 6 months of captivity. For a while they spent a lot of time with Jake, but then they took my blood and ran a lot of tests on it. I think their data would have been very important to the development of the enhanced C-virus. I’ve forwarded that data to the UN for developing Anti-C, but I’ll forward all we have to you guys too.”

“Sherry, so they really did keep you for 6 months! I knew Simmons couldn’t be trusted. I’m so sorry I didn’t check up on you sooner!” Claire said, shaking her head apologetically.

“Well, you had me to worry about, sorry.” It was Chris’ turn to be apologetic. They had both disappeared on Dec 24th 2012 in circumstances beyond their control.

“Chris, Claire, the DSO and I are happy to help out. We’re all in this together, and we’ll fly out so you can get a blood sample.” Sherry gave a sweet smile.

Jill took the moment to make her final announcement “On behalf of Piers, Chris and the BSAA we thank you for all your support in getting towards the bottom of the situation. I believe we have finally put the puzzle together towards Carla, Simmons and their objectives and history. There are still many things to follow up on, and we have not seen the last of Neo Umbrella. In light of the global threat that Carla and Neo Umbrella possess, I wish to formally request the joint cooperation and support between the BSAA, the FOS, the DSO and TerraSave, if not at an official capacity, then at least to the best of our personal ability to make every resource and agent count.

“I can speak for the program under TerraSave that we are already working with the BSAA towards aiding and addressing the clean-up and after math in Lanshiang. We don’t have any operations at the USA at present but we look forward to cooperating with the FOS and DSO as the need arises.” Claire was the first to speak up.”

“The FOS is happy to share intel and provide backup as needed. The involvement of Chris and Piers had been instrumental towards rescuing Sherry and Jake as well as Leon and Helena, and I can see how a joint partnership between our parent organisations can help our operatives secure the best outcomes.” Hannigan also agreed.

“With president Benford infected, it’s time for the USA to lay aside its arrogance and formally accept the involvement of the BSAA and TerraSave towards activities on our home soil. I will see to it that our future activities will align as closely as we can towards preventing and protecting outbreaks in North America.” Leon said.

“I can’t vouch for anything, but I have a personal stake in seeing this objective through both for the sake of clearing my name and other factors and I’ll be in contact to help and forward intel as I’m able to.” Ada nodded.

Jill led a round of applause across the table in acknowledgement. “This is a great step forward for all of us. I have a number of missions that we would like to assign you guys to. In the US, we must continue finding Simmon’s activities and research- to see what project Ada was about. In China, we need to retrieve whatever data we can about Jake and Sherry at the medical facility, the data for Project C at the Quad Tower, to confirm the deaths of Simmons and Carla, and to find any information in our research efforts towards treating Piers Nivans, not to mention the ongoing clean up and protection of remaining residents in Tatchi and Waiyip. Finally, we have not seen the end of Neo-Umbrella and we need to find where they are hiding and what their next steps are.”

“DSO is continuing to scan Simmon’s hideouts, and Ingrid, Helena and Sherry will continue to trace Simmons’ networks and research facilities. I’ll return to China and check the Quad tower labs.” Leon said.

“I can partner up with Leon again to search through Quad tower and confirm Simmon’s death.” Claire offered.

“Jake and I can come back to China to search the labs again, and I think Kaison will want to get samples of our antibodies for his research.” Sherry said after seeing a nod from Leon.

“I’ll use my networks here to secure any intel about Carla’s labs and the other Neo Umbrella facilities.” Ada said. She probably had the widest network and contacts in Asia.

“I’ll help monitor the BSAA operations and help Piers make a recovery along with Kaison.” Chris said.

“Alright, I think we’re all sorted. I’ll keep everyone updated. Stay safe. This meeting is adjourned.” Jill finally closed the conference. It was the best result all of them had hoped for. They have some real intel, real leads and real action. Ada Wong’s participation was unexpected, but the most fruitful and held many answers the team has longed for. With this information, all their agencies can now put further plans to action and take steps to further ensure security of the world and continue counting the plans for bioterrorism.

* * *

  
**End of Chapter File Unlock (from Ada Wong)**

 

_BSAA Archives  
Communication file RA-04. July 2013. _

Recovered and provided by Agent Ada Wong and provided in kind to BSAA Headquarters. Contains original material with amendments and notes by Agent Wong.

Security Classification: level 4.

Agent Wong notes- I have replaced all uses of my name in the document with Carla Radames to avoid confusion.

\--

**Induction notes for new research team members. Commercial-in-Confidence (excerpt)**

Current projects:

As per director ~~Ada Wong’s~~ (Carla Radames’) initiative, Neo Umbrella has four current major research project directives, each symbolically represented by a red arm of the Neo Umbrella logo. The projects differ widely in their research direction and outcomes, and most details are kept under strict confidence from staff in other projects. Once you have been assigned to your project area specific debriefing and induction will commence.

 _Agent Wong notes_ : Well well well, Carla has certainly been busy. Four concurrent projects each with the capability of destroying the planet ten times over? This is bigger than anything we have seen and anything I could personally handle, so I’m sending this file to BSAA along with my notes.

 **Codename Project A** \- Headed by Director ~~Wong~~ (Radames) herself, project A has been largely centered on the development of an enhanced C-virus strain. The stain is to enhance the instrumentality of the current C-Virus as well as allow it to overcome innate resistance to those with antibodies against the current C-Virus strain. The true purpose and intended recipients of Enhanced C-virus is classified. Project A is being developed mostly in the Medical Facility in Waiyip.

 _Agent Wong notes:_ I believe this is a result of project Ada. Carla, of course, had no idea she was cloned until later down the track when she found Simmon’s evidence, but she knew the C-virus no longer worked on her as a vector. Based on my involvement and intel, I believe the enhanced C-virus strain developed was to imbue the user with new powers, and is intended to be used by Carla herself to achieve superhuman status and ability. Of course, she did use it on herself after being shot by the Family, but I believe her traumatic brain injury and grievous bodily wounds at the time prevented her having completely mastery over the virus. Furthermore, the C-virus experiments and indoctrination from Simmons may have damaged her psyche irreparably.  I had personally encountered and overcame Carla Radame’s C-virus form, and have shattered the BOW with a large vat of liquid nitrogen after she merged herself with a carrier. I can’t say we’ve gotten rid of her for sure though. I know if I was in her place I’d still be kicking out there somewhere.

 **Codename Project B** \- Project B exists as a safeguard for Neo Umbrella personnel to survive and remain unaffected by the outcomes of the other projects and worldwide viral release.  Thus far Project B has been concerned with both the creation of, and carrying research against antibodies for the C-virus.  Project B is housed in our Medical Facility in Waiyip. With the recent captivity of Subject Jake Muller and Subject Sherry Birkin findings and resources of Project B have been fed forward to Project A and Project C.

 _Agent Wong notes:_ Carla was sent by Simmons to capture Jake Muller from the beginning to harvest his antibodies to both C-virus and also potentially other types of viral agents. I am certain she has extracted relevant antibodies and used these to develop the enhanced C-virus without telling Simmons. The fact that Carla managed to re-use the Enhanced C-virus as a vector means she was successful in overcoming the immunity problems she had.

 **Codename Project C** \- Project C is also headed by Director ~~Wong~~ (Radames) herself and is focused on development on delivery of genetic material using the C-virus as a vector on a human subject. There has been recent significant progress and Director ~~Wong~~ (Radames) has commented that it was her ‘greatest work yet.’ The chrysalid produced as a result of Project C is kept in a secret location in Tower C of the Quad Tower Complex.

 _Agent Wong notes_ : Ironically Carla became as atrocious as Simmons was in creating her own cloned subject. I believe most of the project was trying to replicate Simmons’ success, with a few improvements and alterations. If anything, my own record trails showed there had definitely been significant amounts of intellectual espionage between Carla and Simmons’ laboratories. I had stumbled across the lab containing the subject and notes for Project C. The chrysalid was beginning to hatch on July 1st 2013 and I burned the place down. Needless to say, it’s a crime against humanity.

 **Codename Project D** \- Project D pertained the development of a bioweapon that can lead to global viral saturation within a few days. We have currently code named this creature as Haos and it is currently housed in our purpose built Deep Sea facility. Haos is said to combine the best features of previous iterations of B.O.W.s seen and has the potential for infinite replication and worldwide infection. Director ~~Wong~~ (Radames) has stated this is her failsafe should all other plans fallen short. A significant number of virus loaded missile warheads have been produced as part of Project D and will be fitted on a captured Chinese aircraft carrier as the plan progresses.

 _Agent Wong notes_ : As I ‘overhead’ from BSAA intel after July 1st I believe this Haos creature was encountered by Jake Muller, Sherry Birkin, and BSAA Operatives Chris Redfield and Piers Nivans, and the latter pair cornered and defeated the creature at Neo Umbrella’s underwater facility. Chris mentioned that Piers was the one who finally took out Haos in a final act of personal sacrifice. May the world live on in his honourable memory.

 _Chris Redfield_ notes: The outcomes of Project D translated into Plan D, beginning with the launch of the missile on a large number of cities across the Pacific Rim. Lt. Piers Nivans and I were able to stop most of the warheads except for that which reactivated from a failsafe and resulted in the infection of the city of Tatchi.  
As for Haos, I attest Piers and I fought this monstrosity personally at Neo Umbrella’s underwater facility. Lieutenant Nivans had suffered grievous bodily harm and sacrificed himself to deal the fatal blow on the creature. Without Piers' sacrifice, myself, the BSAA and the rest of the world would not be here today. It is my strong personal recommendation for the BSAA to procure all relevant details pertaining Project A. We need to uncover every fact specifically regarding the development of the Enhanced C-virus… so that we can ensure Carla is gone for good... and seek to reverse her mutation if she’s not.

-End of File-

* * *

_BSAA Archives  
Communication file RA-05. July 2013._

Recovered and provided by Agent Ada Wong and provided in kind to BSAA Headquarters. Contains original material with amendments and notes by Agent Wong.

Security Classification: level 10.

**From Carla’s Papers (in game file)**

It won't be long before everything he ever feared will come true. My special pet resting beneath the sea will be ready soon. All my little cocoons will also hatch shortly. My greatest creation will be the very undoing of everything he has worked for.  
  
It would be a shame, though, if he wasn't ready to live in a world of nightmares. I'll make his body a living reflection of the horrors I've unleashed.  
The world will be so far removed from the stability he craves. It will be complete chaos! And that chaos will destroy his body!

\--

 _Agent Wong notes:_ Carla began work on the C-Virus in 2001. Below is a note written by Carla, found in the Quad Tower, detailing the origins of the C-Virus.  
  
\---  
  
I was able to get a hold of the now-harmless T-Veronica virus, and I've decided to use it as a base for my research into new viral weaponry.  
  
First, I succeeded in extracting only that which causes sudden DNA mutations, a characteristic that has become stronger ever since the original Progenitor Virus. Combining this with the T-Veronica, I've eliminated any chance of brain cell damage, which was a major flaw of the virus. I call this combination "T-02."  
  
Before, if the T-Veronica virus was injected into a subject, that subject had to undergo a long sleep at ultra-low temperatures in order to slowly adapt to the virus and avoid brain damage due to sudden mutation. However, with T-02, this is no longer necessary.  
  
Now, if I can just combine it with a sample of the G-Virus taken from Sherry Birkin's body I'll have the perfect virus. I don't know how many years it will take, but I'll do all I can to make Simmons proud.

\--

-End of File-

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hunnigan's name is Hannigan in the Japanese version and there has been debate about whether Hunnigan is a localisation error. As such Hannigan will be used here for the sake of being consistent to source material.
> 
> Resident Evil 6 has a very cryptic plotline that left many things unanswered from the campaign alone. The unlocked files fill in many more crucial gaps.
> 
> This chapter by and large summarises and pieces together all the details in Resident Evil 6 from all the codex and files. The research projects A, B, C, and D are not canon designations, but are based on projects that Carla had put in place. Plan D, at least, is canon. There is a small amount of theorycrafting to fill in the knowledge gaps, but almost all the facts here are very closely aligned to canon (and took significant amounts of time to put together). It has been very challenging to write, to say the least. My sources are the in game files, game dialogue, Resident evil.net. I recommend two sources- the RE wiki and project umbrella as very reliable and trustworthy archives for reading up further.  
> http://residentevil.wikia.com/Resident_Evil_6/plot  
> http://projectumbrella.net/articles
> 
> Part of the reason why I'm so thorough here is because Carla's motives behind the enhanced C-virus must be well understood in order to deduce what has happened, why it has happened and what will happen to Piers. Basically all of this is necessary to see why Piers can and should survive the effects of enhanced C-virus, and of course, whatever else the villains may have in store.
> 
> If you have questions regarding the setting or things that the work doesn't explain or address, send me an ask via tumblr and I'll try my best to answer. Note that some questions may be answered in coming chapters as our agents find out more.  
> http://theosymphany.tumblr.com/


	10. Divine Inspiration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Piers Nivans awakens.  
> Figured we could all use some happy news in spirit of the uplifting announcement

Early the next morning Kaison sought Chris out at his temporary office, his tablet in hand with Piers’ reports and figures along with two cups of coffee.

“I have good news, Chris. I have studied the fluid samples in Piers’ Capsule, and it is actually something quite interesting if you’d like to hear about it.”

“Anything about Piers is important to me, doctor.” Chris gave a small smile as he accepted the drink.

“Firstly, the fluid has a very high heat capacity- that is, it is able to withstand and absorb a lot of heat energy without heating up significantly. This may be related to the creation of Haos- as I recall the underwater facility was incorporating the heat resistant microbes found near the magma vents for Haos’ development.  This allows the capsule to withstand sudden fluctuations in temperature, and also insulate Piers from extreme temperatures from the environment.

Secondly, the fluid is distinctly non-Newtonian and is in fact shear-thickening or what might be called a dilatant. What this means is that it hardens and toughens in response to external forces, trauma and stresses, giving it immense strength and energy dissipation from projectiles or collisions and pressures in the environment. You may have heard of things called liquid body armor and it’s essentially the same principle. It’s a fluid until impact occurs and then it temporarily hardens to protect its target.  In this case, since Piers was encapsulated in this fluid, any blasts from the explosions or shrapnel at the underwater facility would have been absorbed by the gel, and as a result Piers was kept safe inside.  I daresay this would have been why Haos had been so difficult to kill and able to regenerate quickly- if it was filled with this fluid it basically can stop most bullets from penetrating close enough to its organs.”

“Yes, as I recall Piers had to use his bioelectricity to stun Haos and hold it in place before my bullets or knife had any actual impact.”

“Yes, the bioorganic fluid is polar in nature, and an electric field is one of the few ways one could disrupt the formation of hardened crystalline structures. On the one hand electrical impulses allow Haos to remain mobile, but on the other it is also its own weakness. I’ve sent some reports of the data to the weapons and armor teams. They might be able to design or make use of this type of material in some of our gear.”

Chris gave a nod. “So long as it’s completely safe to use, sure thing.”

“Ah, but I’ve sidetracked from why I’m here.  I have had a meeting with my team based on the intel and Ada’s documents regarding the enhanced C-virus’ use. All of us agree that the risk of infection to others is slim.”

“Are you sure about that? I’d be over the moon getting Piers out of quarantine, but the BSAA had always been super strict about these things, if Jill’s experience was anything to go by.”

“You guys mentioned you encountered Carla at Marhawa, Edonia and China. Each time she had to  use a dart gun to apply the C-virus. If she was capable of secondary infection herself, she would have used other means.

“I suppose that’s true. Carla had seemed to just be a perfectly normal person with a warped mind.”

“I believe she wasn’t infectious due to the unique mode of delivery, Chris. The keyword about the enhanced C-virus, Captain Redfield. Is not the noun, but the verb.”

Chris rubbed his eyes. “Not the noun, but the verb? So it’s not the virus, but…”

“…to enhance.”

“You’ve still lost me, Doc.” Chris gave a small grin.

Kaison showed Chris an image from his tablet. “Viral vectors have two primary modes in research and development.  Let me put it this way.  In our years of eradicating bioterrorism, our fundamental struggles have been in combating against the principal nature of the virus: to, infect, to propagate.”

“Yes, I get that. It’s why it’s so dangerous, why I’m so worried for Piers, if not the BSAA also.” Chris was getting slightly impatient from all this information, but he understood that Kaison was probably trying to make it as easy as he could already.

“Yet viral vectors have another purpose.  Believe it or not, viruses are routinely used in modern day medicine.”

“In medicine? You mean…”

“… gene delivery, gene therapy, vaccines…”

“So… the enhanced C-virus….” his mind ran through the different possibilities.

“Based on the reports from Ada Wong about Carla’s intentions and evidence about the mutations from Simmons and Carla, the primary goal of this virus, Chris, was probably not to create an infected individual, but to deliver.”

“Deliver? To deliver what?”

“Enhancement. The conclusions of my preliminary research and speculation, Captain Redfield, is that the enhanced C-virus is a very special project intended for a privileged few. A project intended to deliver…

… The Ultimate Weapon.”

Chris stood up and paced the room. “…and this means…”

“…that Lieutenant Nivans has not been infected, Captain, in the traditional sense.  He has been… enhanced.”

Chris took a long breath as the reality of the statement sank in.

“You mean to say that instead of us having dealing with another of Carla’s monstrous creations, Piers turned himself into one?”

“I wouldn’t go so far to say monstrous, Chris. We still have a lot to study, but if you think about it, Carla wouldn’t make something for herself only to lose her mind and become a monster, right? Gives us time, we’ll wake Piers up and I’m sure he can help us out with this. I am just as interested in restoring Piers’ humanity as you are, Captain. Given that the C-virus does not mess with a subject’s cognitive functions, I daresay Piers will remain in control of how to use his abilities, whatever they are.”

“Restoring Piers… you mean…”

“Based on the intel we gathered from the joint meeting yesterday I believe Piers is not at risk of infecting others. With your permission, I believe we can retrieve Piers from his pod and awaken him.”

Chris felt his heart starting to race slightly. “Is that going to interrupt his healing? What if he wasn’t ready to breathe? What if he will mutate further instead?”

“It’s going to be your call, Chris. I understand you may want him back sooner, or you might want him to wait. It seems the virus is dormant at the moment. It is just protecting and guarding Piers. If anything, healing and recovery will probably be faster once Piers is conscious and has his mental faculties back.”

“If it’s safe to do so, then hell yes, let’s get Piers back, but I’ll talk to Jill and get some safeguards in place.”

* * *

 

Chris and Jill watched nervously in the containment chamber. They were both suited up to protect themselves, and they were armed and ready to deal with incidents should Piers be hostile.  He is still caged and contained, and they hoped they will not have to resort to violence.

They watched anxiously as an incision was made slowly along the centre of the pod.  The liquid filled capsule opened and the fluid seeped out from the capsule, settling and sinking to the bottom of the tank. There was a strong sulphur smell in the room that they could detect even in the biohazard suits.

By now the capsule had subsided, and Piers’ slime covered figure was laid on a stool and was hosed down with a fresh water nozzle. Pieces of the uniform had disintegrated in the process, and Piers had only his ID tags, combat BDUs pants and boots left on after the hose down.

The next stage was the most significant. They set up instruments to monitor Piers’ vitals. A number of doctors and assistants were massaging Piers’ chest to expel the fluid from his lungs and oral cavity.  They have agreed on a non-surgical approach in case it causes strange self-healing processes to take place. Chris could see that Piers’ torso had healed, and there were no clear scarring on his body. Apart from his arm, his torso had looked no different from what he was. A fine nozzle sprayed over Piers’ face to clear the gunk as it was expelled, and a probe was inserted into his mouth to draw out the fluid and exchange it back with air slowly.

Beep. Beep.

Piers’ heart rate slowly went up, from the resting state of one beat every 30 second to something more regular.

The team worked quickly, collecting as much fluid as they can and supplying oxygen, but Piers still wasn’t breathing.

Kaison caught Chris’ eye and gave the ok.  He was expecting this to be similar to childbirth.  Once the air pressure drops sufficiently the subject will gasp and take its first breath.

Piers’ heart rate was now at 120 bpm and rising.

The team was massaging Piers’ chest furiously, shaking their heads.  They pumped with the machine, but nothing further happened.

Chris approached the team. Piers was starting to go pale, and his heart rate was approaching 180 BPM.  They injected a sedative to help him calm down. Still, Piers needed oxygen fast.

“Chris- we have two options,” Kaison yelled. “mechanical ventilation, or mouth to mouth.”

“I’ll do it!” Chris said. His heart was already pounding in his chest watching Piers go pale again. He didn’t want to damage Piers further with the crude machinery. What if it caused a new mutation?”

“Clear the obstruction and breathe like CPR, you might have to try to suck the fluid out.” Kaison nodded. Chris had a huge lung capacity- he’d be the best man for the job and he wasn’t too concerned about viral infection. He had found no traces of a virus in the fluid.

Chris didn’t think too much of what he had to do.  He’d already have a fair amount of first aid experience as a combat officer.  The water jets had already cleaned Piers’ face and he smiled seeing the familiar handsome face of his lieutenant.  He exhaled, and placed his lips over Piers’. He sucked, hard, trying to clear the airway, but couldn’t quite break the seal.  Undaunted, he took a deep breath, and blew all of his massive lung capacity explosively into Piers’ lungs, watching the chest finally inflate.

In. Out. In. Out. In. Out.

Piers’ heart rate stabilised.

He placed his lips over his lieutanent’s again, concentrating on breathing. He leaned in, and saw the mismatched eyes finally flutter wide open in shock.  He raised his brows slightly to let Piers calm down, and he sucked, and finally found a trickle of fluid going up Piers’ mouth.  He took up what he could and spat it out, then massaged Piers’ chest and bent Piers over, slapping hard between his shoulders.

Fluids sprayed out from Piers’ nose and mouth. He tried to gasp but couldn’t and ended up heaving. Chris breathed in for him again.

“Cough… cough…”

Piers gasped hard, clutching his chest.

Chris gave a final slap.

“Cough!”

Piers took a shallow breath.   In. Out. In. Out. Eventually he was able to get more of the fluids out and support his own breathing.

The room filled with applause.

Chris smiled, the softness of Piers’ lips still left on his own.

“Welcome back, Piers.”

Reddened, mismatched eyes stared into the walnut brown, confused. His left eye was still a honey hazel, and a slight layer of slime covered his right eye but Chris could see the iris beneath.

“Cap… Captain…” Piers said weakly, still gazing at Chris in shock.

“Piers!” Chris hugged him through his suit. Jill wiped away a tear, being reminded of her own rescue four years prior.

“I’m… I’m good, Captain.” Piers said with a hint of a smile, while still coughing out mouthfuls of fluid. “I’m still myself.” He looked over his body.

Kaison gave Chris and Piers a gargling solution, and he took time to cleanse his airways and finally rid himself of all the build-up, taking long, deep breaths from his sniper training. The colour had finally returned to his face.

“You’re not leaving me behind again, Piers.” Chris said, cradling Piers by the back of his head.

“I’m right here, Captain.” Piers gave a weary smile and looked over himself, shocked to find his torso had healed, even if his arm was still distinctly non-human.

“Chris, we’ll clean Piers up, dress any wounds and do a quick checkup.  He’ll be with you in about an hour.” Kaison said, letting Chris lift Piers easily onto a stretcher and taking him to a theatre.

“Chris…” Piers gave a look of anxiety to Chris, but Chris motioned for him to relax and he’ll see him shortly.

“Jill!” Chris turned and gave Jill a bear hug, lifting her to a spin because he was so happy at the turn of events.

“Chris, I’m so happy for you both.” Jill smiled in his arms.

Chris also took a decontamination shower, and waited in the special monitoring room they’ve set up for Piers.  There was going to be a lot of tests to be done, but he wanted to make sure Piers was treated first as a person, and had his comfort and privacy.

* * *

 

He heard a sound in the hallway, and held the door open as Piers’ bed was wheeled in.

“Piers!” Chris called to the familiar brown haired figure as it was brought in. His hair was still long, and his face was back to being clean shaven.  He was wearing loose pyjama bottoms and a loose robe on top which managed to hide his arms.

“Captain. Colonel Valentine.” Piers said quietly, with warmth addressing his officers. He wanted to salute, but he could only do so with his left arm.

“Don’t you worry about all that now, Piers.” Jill said, taking his hand in hers and giving a squeeze. “Just relax and get well ok?”

“Chris, Jill, Piers.” Kaison came in the room with his PDA as the other personnel were dismissed.

“I’ll brief you all quickly on the results. So far the news is good. Piers is with us. He has his memory intact, his personality has not seemed to undergo significant shifts, and he is in full control of his mental faculties. I do not believe he is in danger of infecting anyone through direct contact, but Chris we will monitor you and your vitals just in case since you were exposed to his fluids.”

Both Chris and Piers blushed slightly thinking of their fluid exchange scenario earlier.

“Alright, fine.” Chris nodded.

“Piers, do you remember everything at the facility?” Kaison asked.

“Yes, it seemed like it was only yesterday, it… it was the end. The place was blowing up.  I sat at the pods, thinking about… someone…” He shot Chris a tentative look, but Chris just smiled at him warmly “…then I couldn’t breathe, and the goop was seeping out of my face, my nose and mouth. I was out… it was strangely peaceful. I didn’t feel a sense of self. Then suddenly I couldn’t breathe again, and when I was conscious, I saw Chris… kissing me… and then… yeah.” He gave an embarrassed smile, and Jill smiled looking over Chris and Piers. They’d come so long and so far, and she hoped that the final barrier stopping them declaring their true feelings would be gone after this. She stepped back and patted Chris lightly on his back as he sat beside Piers.

“Well, you’ve been out for over two weeks Piers. We found you floating somewhere offshore in a pod. Whatever it was, it seemed to have kept you alive.” Kaison said.

“Yeah, it scared me at first, it was exactly like Haos’ skin and body when I first saw it, but I guess it did save your life after all.” Chris said, rubbing his thumb over Piers’ hand.

“Like Haos…” Piers shuddered slightly at the name, but he remembered that it was defeated. “I think that had something to do with my arm.  It… absorbed some of Haos’ energy, or essence, or something when we defeated it and I stuck my limb in.” He tried lifting the arm. It was still foreign, and heavy, but it had shrunk a bit in size.  New skin, human, had grown over the appendage to cover the sinew and bone. It looked less horrifying, though the shape was still strange, and he still lacked fingers. He pursed his lips.  He still was a monster, but at least the limb didn’t throb and awaken on its own.

“Your eye, Piers…” Chris said, looking at Piers’ face.  There was a faint diagonal line across his brow and over his right eye and cheek.  He remembered only too well the murky eye with dots, but it was gone, looking the same honey hazel as it always did.

Piers closed his left eye and tried to see out of his right. “The slime got washed out earlier. It seemed normal, but at the same time… different.” He shifted back to his left eye, and back again. “I’ll get used to it, in time I guess.”

“Well I’m glad you have your vision back.” Chris smiled. That would have been worrying to Piers and himself as a sniper.

“How do you feel overall Piers? Anything hurting, uncomfortable?” Kaison asked.  They had a brief physical exam and prodded Piers’ torso, but there were no signs of pain and the organs still seemed human.

“I actually feel alright. Just a bit of a daze from waking up, like I’m on drugs or something, and of course, the arm is still strange, but nothing hurts, I have a bit of energy.” He gave a small smile. “I guess I cheated death after all.”

Chris sighed with relief. The worst case scenarios were over. Now they just have to help him recover bit by bit. “Piers, believe in yourself. You’ll make a full recovery. You will, OK! Hang in there for all of us.” He pulled him to a hug.

“Piers, I’ll take a quick blood sample and biopsy sample. It’s going to hurt, so try to stay relaxed, and don’t attack me!” Kaison said. Piers had remembered Kaison from Merah’s funeral, and he gave a nod.

Kaison took a vial of blood from each arm, and Piers relaxed and didn’t flinch. The limb also didn’t respond violently.

“Ok, this will hurt a bit.” He injected a biopsy needle to his bicep. Piers furrowed his brows slightly, but didn’t complain further. He then repeated somewhere on the mutant limb.

“I’ll run some tests. Chris, you should help Piers eat something, I’ll let you guys rest and have some privacy. Piers, I know you’ll get bored, but stay in bed for today, your legs need to rebuild their strength and we want to make sure you’re recovering normally ok?”

“Any dietary restrictions?” Chris asked, knowing Piers loves his food.

“Nothing too spicy for now, and make sure it’s healthy and balanced.” Kaison smiled. “He hasn’t eaten for a long time, so I recommend some vegetable soup to start with.”

“Thanks Kaison.” Chris said.

“I’ve coordinated with Dr. Peng for a full body CT and MRI tomorrow. Get plenty of rest and stay put ok?”

“I’ll go get some soup for you both and drop it in.” Jill said. “I’ve got to get back to checking with the ground teams anyway.”

* * *

 

Chris sat Piers up and raised the bed so he could lean comfortably, and he portioned the bowls of soups Jill brought back for them.

“Mmm, chicken and vegetables.” Piers said, taking a sniff and looked at the soup. “I’m not always a soup fan, but man, it sure felt like ages since I ate anything.”

“Well it’s over two weeks Piers, for someone like you, that’s kinda torture isn’t it?” Chris smiled, Piers had always looked forward to a meal and gets grumpy when he hasn’t eaten.

“How did you survive anyway? I mean, there was nothing to nourish you…” He placed a soup spoon in Piers’ left hand and tested some himself to check it’s not too hot, then nodded for Piers to try.

Piers raised the spoon to his lips and took it in, his eyes lit up drinking the clear broth. “Oh man, feels strange to be putting anything down my throat again. My nose and throat still feels all funny from the slime before.

To be honest I don’t really know. It was like I went to sleep last night and I woke up today. I just wasn’t conscious, I’m not even sure if I dreamt, or if I did, I haven’t remember anything yet. I wasn’t breathing, eating or drinking, so I guess whatever that slime that encapsulated me in, or traces of Haos’ energy had enough to sustain me. Kaison said my metabolic rate was very low anyway, but my core temperature was warm.  I mean, I still managed to heal up a bit and my hair grew out, so perhaps it wasn’t all that bad.” He shifted and looked over his body, running a finger on his freshly shaved cheeks. He wouldn’t have been able to manage on his own just yet.

“I’ve lost a bit of muscle bulk though. Gonna be hard to get all that back.” He gave a slightly regretful look.

“Don’t worry, I’ll help you train. I’m the expert, remember?” Chris said. He’s the BSAA resident expert on muscle building.

“How else are you managing there?” Chris asked, with the plates of food on the table.

“Well, it’s going to be hard adapting back to life with one arm and scars on my face…” Piers sad, looking at his mutated limb sadly. “… but at least I have my humanity intact… I think.”

“We’ll get through this. Don’t you worry, Kaison will get your arm back soon.” Chris gave a pat on Piers’ back. “Do you feel any different with… you mind?”

“So far I still recall everything that happened, I remember myself, I remember you, I remember we met and trained in 2010, and I was in the Special Forces before that. Memory is there. In terms of cognition and personality shifts I think Kaison will do more of those tests tomorrow. The BSAA has the set that Colonel Valentine did so I’ll probably be put through them all.  I don’t have any evil voices in my head or anything, but I do feel something is different. The first is about my arm- I think my brain has adapted to how to use it? Control my powers? Then there’s another side to my consciousness and clarity- like I’m more aware, I have some sort of… intuition? I seem to ‘know’ about something, I don’t know what, maybe it’ll come to me later.”

“Woah. Sounds different, we’ll get those test run.  Piers, just be open to us about what you’re feeling ok? We’re not going to shut you out, we just need to understand what you’re going through so all of us can help you.”

“All of us… you mean…”

“Yeah… Jill obviously knows about you already, and she and I are using our badge and powers to vouch for you within the BSAA. Ever since Jill’s full recovery they have been a lot more understanding about letting infected agents recover, and we gave a full report on just what you had accomplished and sacrificed in China, so they owe you huge favours anyway, not to mention that you were the one who brought me back.”

“The BSAA…” Piers paused from drinking his soup, deep in thought.

Chris stood and retrieved the well-thumbed badge. “Yeah. It’s where you belong. I… I promised you that I’ll stay on. I will, and you will still have join me ok? We’ve lost so many men in Lanshiang. There’s so much we have for you to do even if neither of us make it to the field in the short run.  We are expanding- Jill told me there have been so many more recruits and rookies signing up after Tall Oaks- we’re setting up joint partnerships with TerraSave and the DSO, I’ll still need you Piers. I shudder thinking of the paperwork alone. You’re not getting off easy.”

Piers held his old badge fondly, a slight smile on his face. “It was a lifetime ago that I passed this to you, Chris.” He felt his eyes moisten. He was prepared to give it all up, but here he was, alive, living, missed, and that Chris still wants him as a partner.  The BSAA still wants him. He still belonged.

“You’re worthy, partner.” Chris placed a palm on his shoulder.

“You keep this, Chris.” Piers said, passing the badge back to Chris. “It had meant my everything.”

Chris shared a glance at Piers and took the badge, holding it and Piers’ hand close to his heart. “You wouldn’t know how desperately I needed this over the last two weeks Piers. I was going insane… the memories, the nightmares, the hallucinations. Ada Wong, Haos, your voice, I lived through all those deaths every day. There were so many nights I lost my arm, where I mutated, nights where Haos killed me, nights where Ada injected me with a virus. I swear, if it wasn’t for this, for knowing and believing that you hadn’t given up on me… for knowing that you still needed me out there. I would have long given up”

Piers withdrew his palm and traced it over Chris’ face. “And I was so worried for you at our parting… my last thoughts- they were that my badge will keep you going, that I could keep watching over you… that you… that you might feel… my love.” He looked into Chris’ eyes gently. He had made his peace at the life pods. He loved Chris. He wasn’t going to hide from the fact again, now that he had time, now that he is back.

“Your love…” Chris grabbed the hand and held it between both of his own, squeezing and hanging on.

“…is always with you…” Chris lost himself in the gentle, golden hazel eyes as he heard his partner’s warm voice.

“Piers, we’ve spent so long darting around each other on this. I don’t know why we waited until life and death to be honest to one another. I like you. Not because of what you did, but because of who you were. You were the only one searching for me for six months, and long before that, in Edonia, in China. We were a team. We were partners, we were close. Closer than comrades, closer than brothers, closer than captain and lieutenant. When I got my memories back… I realised I long had more than just a Captain’s care for you.  When you first fell off the bamboo getting to point Ace of Spades, I felt my heart was falling with you. If I had lost you then, I knew things would never be the same.  Then there was Haos, your injury, the life pod. You bloody idiot. I… I fell apart losing you. You goddamn broke me you stupid asshole.” He leaned on the bed, moisture in his eyes.

“Chris.. I…” He paused, and for a moment his pride again battled his true feelings.  He had gotten so used to sarcasm and sass and smart comments to deflect from the truth, to appear cool and in control whenever Chris was around despite the reality. Yet, from this side of death, there was no point in leaving any regrets after the rare gift of a second chance. “I didn’t think I deserved you… from the beginning… you were… famous, THE Chris Redfield. You had accomplished so much. I was just a rookie, young and stupid.  Then it was Edonia, and…” He paused, thinking about the heartache over those six months, when he had been completely forgotten by the one who had mattered the most. 

“…In Edonia, you had totally forgotten who I was, and went through so much hardship that I couldn’t protect you from.  Then down there in the facility… by the time I had my injury, I knew it was too late, but I was glad to have taken your place. I was glad that I could for once protect you, do something for you. I didn’t deserve you then… I wasn’t human, I wasn’t myself, I was dying… I didn’t want to leave you with guilt.”

“That moment you tore Haos apart when I was in the pod. I was sure then. That you loved me. Don’t ask me how. I just knew.” Chris brushed Piers’ hair lightly out of his face.

“We’ll just take one step at a time, Piers. I’ve been through so much, and I’m still putting myself together.  I still need you. Damn Piers, you don’t know what it’s like these last two weeks, losing you, seeing you in pain night and day, screaming at myself knowing there’s nothing I could do. You’ve got to get through this too. We’re both broken, in body and mind, but as long as we have one another, we will make it through.  That was what Merah said to both of us. That was her final blessing.  We’re gonna make it Piers. We didn’t go through all that to throw it away, you hear me?”

“Yes, my Captain.” Piers felt he was floating on a cloud in Chris’ presence. He gave thanks inwardly for Merah’s sacrifice, for the blessings of friends and comrades that saw them through all their hardships. He still didn’t know how he’d get through his mutation, the C-virus, but he will, for Chris’ sake.

“Drink up. It’s a lot harder to get snacks around here if you get hungry.” Chris finished his soup and made sure Piers finishes his.

“Yes, Captain.” Piers gave a slight smile and complied, passing the empty bowl back to Chris.

“Piers… I…” Chris leaned forward, looking into the surprised hazel eyes as he closed the distance between their lips. After all they went through, this month, this day, this hour. He could no longer hold back.

“Mmm…” The lieutenant looked into the warm brown eyes for a moment, then relaxed and let himself melt into the kiss.  He had of course long thought about sharing a kiss with Chris, and the many scenarios of when and how it’d occur. Still, he had no idea what to expect, but it didn’t matter.  Their first kiss was desperate, of life and death, of sustenance, of survival. Their second kiss was gentle, of warmth and uncertainty, of delight, of gratitude that they had one another with them. They kissed, sensing and feeling their way to each other’s hearts through the tender moist skin, sharing their breath and longing, sharing their thirst and aches for the company, for the support, for the attention and the love of one another.

They broke their kiss, hand and fingers entwined, sharing the longest, most tender gaze between golden hazel and warm walnut brown eyes. In those eyes they saw each as they are. Beyond their scars, their wounds within, their shattered identities, their earthly struggle, their imperfections of character. They saw themselves in each other’s’ eyes. The admirable, strong Captain who could accomplish anything he set his mind to. The faithful, capable, loyal lieutenant who was partner, leader and the future. In each other’s eyes, they saw the perfection of themselves, the confidence that they will become the man in each other’s hearts.

Both men remembered their last parting, silent gaze. Of farewell. Of what they believed were to be truly their last moment in each other’s eyes. Now, they had been reunited, and the warmth, the longing, the joy had finally returned. It didn’t make the sacrifice any less significant, or the moment of parting any less gut wrenching than it was, but it did make their reunion far sweeter, far more significant and far more heart-warming than it could have been otherwise. The room grew silent, and in that stare, lifetimes of conversations and longings were shared. One look to fill a void that an eternity of speech could not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back Piers!  
> It's almost July 1st again, but there's no need to be sad. Piers is alive, and he'll be well, and Captain will look after him.


	11. Haunting Apparition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who is the mysterious figure haunting over Quad Tower?

The return to Tatchi was harrowing, solemn and every bit as haunting as it was the day he left. Leon Kennedy could never forget Tatchi, just as he could never forget Raccoon City, and never forget Tall Oaks. The blue fog shrouding the city had lifted, and all Leon could wonder was what happened to the once buzzing centre of manufacturing and technology. The absence of the fog still failed to introduce any sign of life to the ill-fated city. The sunshine over the city’s usual smog and pollution only served to highlight the contrast of what it once was. It was quiet and disturbing. All the frequent signs of a city were there- the high rise skyline, the vehicles, the posters and various signs of life. At the same time there was wreckage, debris, corpses and a rotten stench that Leon was again reacquainted with. The smell of death.

“Leon.” Leon was welcomed on arrival by none other Claire Redfield. The pair had first met and survived through the events of Raccoon City, and yet here they are again, in another aftermath of a biohazard outbreak. They exchanged a quick embrace.

“You know it’s been so long since we partnered up together. Ever since running into Chris at the start of the month I’d been thinking about you.” He said, taking a good look around the TerraSave operations to restore the city block by block.

“Saddening how it takes a biohazard outbreak of unprecedented scale to bring us all back together.” The pairs of blue eyes exchanged a reluctant glance. They’d been fighting similar battles all their lives- Chris, Claire, Leon. United in purpose, but across three separate organisations. It’s about time they work together more often.

“Bioterrorism tear some apart, and bring others together. Our goals have finally aligned, it’d be great to work together with the BSAA and TerraSave finally. Tall Oaks, Lanshiang- these are threats bigger than what any of us could handle alone.  Simmons was wrong. Unveiling America’s hidden past would not undermine our position, it would strengthen it seeing as we’ve had the most experience in combating rampant bioterrorism, and we shall never bow to its threats.” He furrowed his brows, thinking of his friend and President Adam Benford. If only he was still alive, the US would be in much safer hands than the political shitstorm it was going through right now. Being out here in China was almost a blessed escape. If ever politicians were good at one thing, it was serving up thick gratuitous disappointment. Their thirst for power knows no boundaries even through a national and humanitarian crisis.

Claire nodded in support. “With the BSAA’s backup TerraSave had set up some security points and cleared out areas. Most of the city still remains uninhabitable, and there are still many zombies and infected prowling the streets.  I’ll accompany you to the Quad Tower site.”

“Are you ready for this, Claire?” Leon looked across as they took their seats. Claire was at the wheel driving the BSAA vehicle through the wreckages and debris on the streets.  Her brows were narrowed at loss and infection, but neither of them were strangers to biohazard ground zero anymore.

“I’ve been here with Moira quite a bit directing the ground team, but I also fly to Sichuan to BSAA’s facilities to catch up with Chris and coordinate meetings with Jill. It’d be easiest for us to go together. After all, I have long considered Piers to be part of my family.”

“Piers Nivans. He seemed such a remarkable man. Seemingly accomplished so much in a short space of time, going from Chris’ partner to the man who had singlehandedly saved the world. I kinda wished our paths had crossed sooner, but then again, it took long enough for me to spend any decent amount of time with Chris.”

“Chris keeps himself busy. The BSAA had changed so much from its observer, advisory roots to now the leading first response team to any biohazardous outbreak around the globe. They’re growing rapidly in sponsorship, prominence, numbers, power, experience, yet their growth is also matched by the ever deadlier and more devastating bioterrorism attacks. There really isn’t any time for any of us to stop and catch up anymore. I barely get enough time with Chris as it stands.”

“Tell me a bit more about Piers.”

“Chris brought Piers to meet me a couple years ago. Chris had always been close friends with his partners so I never thought much of it, but meeting Piers was a bit like meeting a younger version of Chris. He had an outstanding career file- top sniper of the Special Forces, a leader in his unit and was holding his own under Chris. Chris and Jill worked really hard grooming him to take over some of the operations and responsibilities he led, so you can imagine how strongly this news was hitting him. Besides, Piers isn’t all work and no play like Chris is. He enjoys the finer things in life. Good coffee, good food, good motorcycles, for one.” She grinned.

“No wonder you get along so well.” Leon shrugged. He had enough issues staying alive from A to B on four wheels as it is, let alone two.

“And how are you holding up at TerraSave? It must be grim looking for bodies and cleaning up infections all the time.”

“Someone’s gotta do it, and I know Chris will never give up, so this is one of the ways I can support him. Now that we have an agreement in place, all of us can finally work in a more official capacity.”

“Still, it’s a dangerous job. I heard TerraSave HQ got attacked two years ago and you were kidnapped, how did that work out for you?”

Claire shook her head slowly at the tragic events. “I lost all my colleagues. Only Moira Burton and I made it out. TerraSave was in pieces then and was on the verge of collapsing, but we made it through, and with attacks being so rampant in the last two years we have also expanded and grown our operations considerably. We are thankful for all our volunteers and partners for answering the call of duty.”

“Still, look after yourself ok? I’d hate to see you get caught up at the frontlines like us.”

“That’s just it about bioterrorism. The front keeps finding me regardless. As long as Chris and the BSAA exists, I’ll stand with them. I’ll be fine, Leon.” She gave a small brush of her hair. 

Leon chuckled inwardly, he couldn’t get over Claire’s new look.  If he kept his hair growing for another month they’d probably be sporting identical haircuts.

“What are you smiling at?” Claire asked, seeing the sparkle of mirth in her long-time friend.

“I was thinking we’d almost have matching hairstyles if I grew it out a bit more.”

“I wouldn’t hold onto that thought, Leon. My hair will always be leagues ahead of yours.” Despite the response, she couldn’t help but smile a little at the thought. Unlike Chris, Leon hasn’t changed as much over the last decade or so of fighting bioterrorism. Still the awkward hopeless flirt he is, even if he has grown to be a tad more dependable in a crisis than the day he slept in reporting to the R.P.D.

“We’re approaching the tower- there’ll be a lot to get through.”

Leon sighed as he took in the familiar sight. Quad Tower. Neo Umbrella’s throne of power. State of the art laboratories, vast open offices, high end living quarters, automated weapons defence systems, a helipad. A giant facility spanning across four high rise towers, numerous sky bridges, now left in ruin, the central obelisk making the end of an era of power. Leon remembered the long slow drive in the Humvee with the brave BSAA operative through the infected city.  The cloud of death had dispersed, but Tatchi is left in tatters, the remnants of a torn and broken city.  There were still isolated patches of undead on the loose, and corpses were still rampant anywhere. He and Helena wouldn’t have made it through Tatchi’s infection without the personal sacrifices of the BSAA team. Even though the DSO and the BSAA hardly cooperated, the valiant men of Echo Team had caused Leon to see their operatives in an entirely different light. He was almost ashamed. DSO at heart was about protecting America’s own interest first, her people second. The BSAA had always been about the civilians through and through, even at great personal cost as operative after operative gave their all in the line of duty.

Leon stood at the central lobby of the large complex, feeling the memories flood back in. It had been the toughest battle of his life, fighting the many forms of Simmons between himself, Helena, and Ada.

He looked at the obelisk at the middle.  Simmon’s body was still impaled on the spike, and the pool of blood left from Simmons was still running rampant and fresh. 

“Well, at least Simmons died for real.” He said, looking at the blood. “If what they said was right, he was injected with a special strain of the C-virus, the same that Piers used.  We’ll need this blood sample.” He took out a number of containers and filled them with the blood. The research team will need this to help Piers.

“This all came… from one man?” Claire asked, looking at the huge area the blood covered.

“He had exceptional regenerative potential, able to convert into multiple BOW forms and retain his humanity. I’m not surprised at all. We fought Simmons from when he was a human, then he morphed to a canine form, then a centaur, then a freaking dinosaur, a giant alien bug from outer space, and eventually we finished him off by blasting off his face with an RPG, with compliments to Ada.” Leon shook his head. Derek was easily the most challenging and difficult lifeform they had to face. He kept coming back and regenerating and shrugging off all his attacks.  It took the lightning shock and the RPG to finally take him out.

“Come on, lets’ scan through the labs again.”

“Wait, Leon, are these boot prints?” Claire found a trail of bloodied boot prints from the puddles. “Someone have been here first and got to Simmon’s blood!”

Sandy brows furrowed. “It must have been the Family. The FOS had intercepted some of their exchanges- they elected a new leader to replace Simmons and were still interested in preserving global stability. They would have wanted to destroy Neo Umbrella as much as we do. Let’s hope they haven’t destroyed all the data files, and let’s hope they’re on our side for a while.”

“Leon, Claire. I have identified a number of locations for your investigation.  I have located a number of terminals in the facility and you can see if you can get data that way with the program I’ve loaded on your PDA.” Ingrid Hannigan’s voice buzzed through their comms. It was good to have his partner at FOS (Field Operation Support) watching his back.

“Thanks Ingrid, makes this a hell of a lot easier. Claire, Ingrid Hannigan. Ingrid, Claire Redfield.”

“Pleased to be working with you Miss Redfield, I have heard much about your prowess.” The tone was warm and professional.

“The pleasure is all mine, Ingrid.”

They made it to the first marked location.

“How do they still power these things?” Leon asked, dumbfounded that the site was still powered and very much in operation.

“Neo Umbrella’s headquarters have their own sources of uninterruptable power supply, otherwise known as UPS. All research labs do due to long term experimentation and subject monitoring.” Leon smiled. Hannigan was akin to a walking portable Wikipedia.

Following Hannigan’s instructions, Leon was able to access and download project data files onto his memory devices.

“Lets’ keep going Claire. No signs of personnel or enemy activity so far.”

They moved from site to site, managing to scrounge up whatever files and electronic data they could get.  Every bit was going to help towards unravelling Carla’s plans.

“Stay put Claire, I think I saw something.” Gun in hand, Leon looked around the complex.  He felt they were being watched, but he couldn’t tell who, or what it was.  He scanned the room for any odd shape out of place, but came back empty.

“I think I saw something too. A shadow. There’s someone prodding around.” Claire stood and loaded her shotgun.

“We’ll keep going. Just watch each other’s backs.”

The Quad Tower facility was huge, and with most of the elevators out of commission, there were only so much stairs the pair could make through.

“How’re you holding up Claire?” Leon said, working up a sweat.

“I’ll be fine. We’ll get through this.”

Their path at the experimental facility were fraught with traps and automated defense systems. They had to fight through turrets and scanners until they managed to override the security system with Ingrid’s help.

“Well this is high security alright.” Leon said, finally getting to a terminal.

The next section was even more dangerous, with mutant experimental subjects and escaped BOWs behind the entrance after the collapse of some of the security structures.

“What do we do now?” Claire asked, taking shots as the mutants drew near.

“Kill them all. You guys will have to do it later anyway.” Leon said, dual wielding his pistols and fighting their way out. They needed lab access, and the only way through was forward.

“Did you hear that?” Claire asked.  Against their own gunfire, they heard the BOWs attacking a third entity.  Whoever it was, they fought silently- it was all melee work, they were a hell of a fighter.

“Is anyone out there?” Leon asked, wondering if he might be an ally. Their call was ignored.  They continued in their fight, with Leon taking on the bulk of the monsters and Claire sniping off the ranged enemies.

“Still every bit as polished as you were Claire, how do you fight so well for someone who has a desk job?” Leon was ever the inquisitor.

“If you have a brother like Chris, you’d be prepared for anything.” Claire smiled and brushed her hair back. Chris spent all his life fighting bioterrorism, and he trained her hard for combat since his return from boot camp in the wake of losing their parents. Chris knew he couldn’t always watch out for her, so he gave her the skills to do it herself.  Recently, with Piers being Chris’ partner, they spent a lot of time together at gun ranges, and Piers had given her many tips on sniping which she were practicing right now. Learning from Piers had given her a fighting chance getting out of Alex Wesker’s prison back in 2011, and she was the one who managed to snipe Alex out of a moving helicopter at range.  Following the attack, Claire got Chris to put together some PT programs, and it was now a mandatory program for all TerraSave employees so all personnel have basic self defense skills. She still remembered Gina being helplessly mauled by the afflicted on that forsaken island. She deserved a chance to live.

The last BOWs had been dispatched, but the mysterious figure of their shadow had materialised.

“Freeze!” They both pointed their guns at the shadow, his tall silhouette mysterious lurking away from the light of day. He had Neo Umbrella’s mask on, and they couldn’t make out his hair or features.

Claire studied the figure in disbelief.  It couldn’t be… it had been so long. He couldn’t be alive… but…

“Wesker?”

“What do you want?” Leon asked. He’d never met Wesker, but something about this figure was… familiar.  He didn’t know if he was a friendly, but the uniform suggested otherwise.

“Who are you?”

“Leon Kennedy, Department of Security Operations in the USA.”

“Claire Redfield, TerraSave.”

“DSO huh. Well that’s a shame. We could have been friends.” His voice was cold, but young.

The figure disappeared in a blur, and rematerialized with a full kick towards Leon’s chin.

“Leon!” Claire fired.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

She missed. Leon blocked with his forearm, but his gun was knocked out of his hand. The pair were engaged in hand to hand combat, and while the stranger didn’t seem to have Wesker’s god like level of combat as Chris described, he was still very adept at dodging punches and bullets.

Claire fired more shots where she could, trying her best not to hit Leon.

Her hair blew back. She swung back instinctively and narrowly missed a kick to her face.  She back flipped and drew out her blade, slashing out the area before her in self-defence.  She wasn’t anticipating any moves, just attacking and protecting her space. Chris had mentioned Wesker’s fighting style previously. The best way was not to respond to attacks blow by blow, because they were too fast, but just keep attacking and defending.

Her fist collided with an arm. The figure was far too strong though for her to do serious damage.

Thud.

In the second Wesker froze, Leon planted a heavy punch square on his back. He tried to wrestle him for a head lock.

Swish.

The masked man kicked the floor hard, grabbed a hanging bar and back flipped through the doorway.  As silently as he had entered, a quick tumble and flip was all it took for him to hide from their sight again.

“Claire, are you alright?” Leon retrieved his gun, looking left and right.

“I’m fine. Let’s get out of here and warn the others.” They extracted whatever they could and wiped their traces in case Wesker or the Family wanted to backdoor on their entry.

* * *

 

“Jill! Chris!” The radio rang from the field.

“Claire! Leon! How goes the mission?” Jill took the call.

“We’re heading out from Tatchi back to our closest field base.  We were able to extract Simmon’s blood and get into the database. The facility was deserted except for the J’avo here and there and some escaped BOWs from the labs. Oh, and an impressive array of traps and turrets.”

“Alright. That sounds good. Anything to note?” She continued, wondering why Claire was out of breath.

“Chris.” Leon spoke up, voice stern and cold. “There was a stranger at the Quad Tower. We don’t know his identity or if he was a friendly, but he attacked us even after we told him who we were.”

“Was he from Neo Umbrella? Who was it?” Chris furrowed his brows, it didn’t sound good. Nothing from Neo Umbrella did anyhow.

“I’m… not sure.” Leon’s voice hesitated. “He seemed familiar to both me and Claire. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but Claire…”

Claire’s voice came through the comms, “Chris, I think he reminded me of Wesker.”

“Wesker?” Chris exchanged a look with Jill. God damn the Weskers. There’s no way they could be back.

“Chris, I’m not sure, he seems younger that Wesker should be, but we couldn’t get a good look on his face or features behind the mask he was wearing.”

Leon took over. “He had exceptional melee skills, he was fast, evasive… from what you guys said, he fought just like Albert Wesker.”

“Chris, he almost dodged every bullet, and he stood as tall as Albert Wesker and was about the same build.” Claire’s voice rang out.

“It can’t be possible. Jill and I saw Wesker die for good at Kijuju!” Chris refused to believe Albert could come back for the third time.

“We don’t know either, but it doesn’t hurt to be careful. With the C-virus and Carla still out there…”

“Wait.” Jill said, thoughtfully. “C-virus. Plan C!”

There was only one word on everyone’s mind.

Doppelganger.

Wesker… is back?

* * *

 

 **End of Chapter File unlock** **:**

BSAA Archives  
Data file LC-02. July 2013.  
Recovered and provided by Agents Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield and provided in kind to BSAA Headquarters.  
Security Classification: level 4.

 **From the Files of Neo-Umbrella**  
To: All Neo-Umbrella Staff

At 23:29 today, our leader Ada Wong's vital signs ceased. At the same time, Plan D was shown to be activated. All personal in our far-east facilities are urged to head for one of the predetermined safety zones. This emergency notice is for all human staff and not for J'avo test subjects. An emergency cable will be sent to the underwater facility once Plan D is fully in motion.

Plan D:  
Infect all of Lanshiang by firing a missile into Tatchi.  
During the confusion, awaken Haos in the underwater facility, and send it ashore.

With this, the whole world will taste the panic that was Raccoon City; chaos will be the new order. Let us make our leader, Ms. Wong, proud.

  
-End of File-

* * *

 

BSAA Archives  
Data file LC-03. July 2013.  
Recovered and provided by Agents Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield and provided in kind to BSAA Headquarters.  
Security Classification: level 10.

**Report on Jake Muller**

Mr. Simmons:

The mission to find the son of Albert Wesker has been completed. I have confirmed that Jake Muller is the biological son of Wesker.

Name: Jake Muller (Age 20)  
Citizenship: Republic of Edonia  
Physical Characteristics: Caucasian; 190cm; blue eyes

Has been in the employ of Edonian mercenaries for five years. Has trained or fought in all parts of Europe, the Middle East, and South America. A DNA sample from Muller proved his relationship to Wesker.

Wesker's alleged immunity to viral infection has manifested itself in Muller. Unfortunately, the DNA sample I attained would not be enough to assist with C-Virus research. A bodily fluid, blood, saliva, or bone marrow sample would be required. It is my recommendation that you dispatch your top agent to secure a tissue sample from Muller.

END

\---  
UPDATE

I have confirmed that Jake Muller's mother has died of illness. Details on her are scarce, but we learned that she was born in Edonia and immigrated to America in her early twenties, where she became pregnant with Albert Wesker's child. She then returned to Edonia with Jake without telling Wesker of his birth.

  
-End of File-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Both files came from in-game unlocks.


	12. Stinging Jolts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Piers' evaluation and rehab begins.

“Chris, Piers!” Sherry burst into the room, a broad smile on her face. Jake followed behind with heavy, marked footsteps. His gait was uneasy as he approached Chris. The four of them had not parted on the best of terms, and he still didn’t know if he should be angry, but Sherry had chewed his ear out for weeks now about how important the Redfields have been from saving the world times over, even if it involved his regret of a father.

“Claire! You’re here too! I’ve missed you!” Sherry threw herself in the arms of the redhead, drawing a laugh from all in the room.

“Claire, this is Jake.” She pulled Jake by his forearm. “Jake, this is my big sister Claire, she and I go all the way back to Raccoon City.”

Jake nodded coolly and exchanged a handshake.

“Jake, at least say hi.” Sherry gave the arm a pinch.

“Hi Claire.” He said, with half a raised eyebrow.

“Hi Jake, it’s nice to finally meet you.” Claire had a much more sincere smile. “Yet… I felt as if I’ve seen you before …” She studied him quizzically.

Chris and Sherry exchanged a look.

“Funny that. Your brother was always saying the same thing.” Jake gave a passive shrug.

“You guys just arrived today?” Claire asked.

“Yeah, barely off the plane. My legs are so stiff.” Sherry said, stretching and giving them a kick.

“And Jake was with you the whole time?” She had to be sure.

“No escaping without me around here. He’s under my charge.” Sherry said. Jake gave a look of distaste.

“Anyway, we thought we’d pop by and say hi and check up on Piers. How are you doing?”

Piers still had his robe on to hide his arm, but he managed a smile. “I’m still alive. That’s something.”

“Hey pup.” Jake gave a nod. Things were still awkward between the two, and they never settled things in a ‘duel’ as they had agreed, but Jake had learnt by now provoking Piers got himself nowhere. “You… you did good down there. We owe you one.”

Piers returned a nod. It was probably the most cordial meeting they could manage, given the circumstances.

“Anyway, we are scheduled to see Kaison for some blood work. We’ll catch you later.”

“I take you guys down to Kaison’s lab.  Sherry, when you’re done let’s head out for a meal and do some shopping after ok? I think I know just the place to take you guys.”

“Sounds good Claire.” They headed out.

* * *

 

“Piers, it’s going to be good. We might be able to get something out of Jake’s blood for you.” Chris said. Piers had been a bit downcast and moody lately.

“We’ll see Chris. It’s not going to be that easy.”

“Let’s get some gym work done then. Got to have you fit and active for service again.”

“Yes… Captain.”

They warmed up, and got right into training.

“Piers, you’re keeping up alright? Yell if you need a break.” Chris was doing interval sprints laps with Piers in the indoors training center. Normally they’d be outside, but Piers still felt very self-conscious about letting others see his limb.

They were both in tank tops and shorts, doing 50 m sprint back and forth to train and assess their agility and speed monitored by a wrist held device.

“How do you feel?”

“I’m good, let’s finish this.”

They finished the last km or so, both men panting heavily.  It took a lot more out of them to sprint, stop, turn around and do it all over again than just a straight run.

Chris took a towel and gently wiped down Piers’ left side, then let him wipe the rest of himself off as he checked the results over the devices.

“Well, your times were still decent Piers. It’s not what it used to be, but it’s still exceptional given you’re still getting used to the limb.”

“I could have been faster if I can use both my arms, but the momentum, turning, it’s awkward.” Piers said, trying to wriggle his joints in all his limbs.  He’s regained the ability to bend his limb like an elbow, but it was still missing fingers and the shoulder was bulky and sticking out.

“I wish it’d just grow back into my human hand one day.” He looked at the limb in thought, trying to move it like his human hand did.

“Drink up.” Chris passed him an energy drink. “Next up we have some time in the range.  I know it’s gonna be really hard, but let’s see what you can do.  Don’t expect too much of yourself ok? You’ll need to get your body used to everything.”

Most of the local teams are deployed in Lanshiang, so Chris had been able to book the range and ensure there were nobody else around without much difficulty.  Piers had been using mostly two handed guns on the field, but in his current state he could only wield handguns for now. It was a deep blow to both men, but any shooting is better than none.

“Here, take my 909. I’ve lined up some targets.  Just see how you go.”

Piers held the gun.  It was awkward wielding it one handed, but then again, he had trained a bit dual wielding pistols so it wasn’t totally familiar.  Besides, he was left handed and left eye dominant, so losing his right hand wasn’t the worse blow.

He lined up the target, closed his right eye and shot a handful of rounds.

“They’re still on target Piers, doing well.”

Piers wasn’t happy with the result entirely though.  He let Chris load another clip to the gun. He’d be too slow doing it by himself for now.

“Still good Piers. Don’t be too hard on yourself. It’s not even your preferred weapon after all.” Piers normally would easily get 10’s in most shots, but he was averaging 7s and 8s.  His brow was creased with concentration and disappointment.

“Remember, this is just a baseline. We’ll get better from here.” Chris said, noting down the results.

“Piers, now try with both eyes.”

Bang. He missed.

He tried to adjust and fire twice.  A bit better, but still far from his standards and expectations.

Frustrated, he shot the whole clip slowly, but it was erratic.

“What the hell?” He cursed himself.

“Piers, just try the right eye.”

His heart pounded slightly with panic.  What the hell was happening to his vision?  He will himself to stay focused and closed his left eye.  Most soldiers rarely train with their non-dominant eye, but this was a re-evaluation, and Piers had been ambidextrous to some extent, so it was a major blow to his confidence to lose his arm and his vision.

He fired a test shot, then tried to adjust for the difference and get closer to the target.  He started the clip with a 5/10 and finally managed to get it back to 10/10 towards the end.  It was a different adjustment than what he’d been used to previously though.  It was different, and going to take a lot to get used to during live firefights where every shot had to count. Something was off with his depth perception and binocular vision.

“Piers, I think it’s still ok.  We might have to get your vision checked out.”

“Here, try a machine pistol.” Chris loaded and readied the arm for Piers.

Similar scenario. Left hand, left eye, no probs.  Two eyes or right eye firing required internal calibration.

“Well, at least you can still defend yourself when you need to.” Chris smiled and gave Piers a pat on the shoulder. 

Piers sighed. “Defend myself? I can’t even change the damn ammo clips.” He dropped the gun on the table with frustration.

“We’ll teach you. The army has one handed reload techniques in place. I’ll get you a proper holster and you’ll master it in no time.” Chris tried to be reassuring.

“Still, who goes on the field with just a pistol?” Piers kicked the table in frustration. He felt he was no longer useful as a combat operative. Can’t climb ladders, can’t shoot, can’t aim, can’t crawl, can’t grab his partner. He was a fucking burden to Chris. Useless.

“Hey.” Chris leaned in, noticing the scowl on Piers’ face and knowing how disappointed Piers was at himself. “It’s barely been three weeks since you were out and you spent two of those almost dying. I know you’re a remarkable soldier but damn it go easy on yourself.  I’m interested in your long term health and wellbeing ok? I’m not expecting miracles, and in time you’ll be as good as you were.”

Piers gave a shake of his head. His marksmanship, of all things was his most defining characteristic.  It was his pride, his key combat responsibility, it was what he used to carry out objectives, to protect Chris. To lose that part of his identity was a serious blow to his ego. Fighting as a soldier was in his blood. It was his damned family history. No Nivans had ever served behind a desk in their prime. He felt he was failing himself, failing Chris, failing the BSAA, his father, his grandfather, his entire bloodline.

“Piers! Please. Not yet, ok?” Chris saw the worry and loathing Piers’ eyes and tried to be positive. He knew Piers always demanded too much of himself. The stronger a soldier’s pride, the harder the fall.

Piers looked away. This was going to be a real test on Chris’ leadership.

“Piers.” Strong arms held the proud sniper tightly to his heart. “Your value to me is of who you are to me, not what you can do for me. We are all defined by our choices, not by our failures. You have chosen the road of sacrifice, and that’s the reason I’m still here today. I’m sorry that you paid the price, and I would have wished it was the other way around, but I accept and honour your choice, and in turn I ask that you accept and honour your sacrifice also.  You saw what a wreck I was after wasting away my drunken ass in Edonia, you got me back into being a decent agent. Let me repay the favour this time, ok?”

“I didn’t…” Piers wanted to say more, but he caught himself knowing it would have stung Chris even more if he invalidated his efforts. He sighed instead. For the nth time that day.

“Piers, you need to stay positive.” Chris didn’t know what to do. He knows Piers too well. Piers is too smart to know all his tricks, to know his own mind prep. You say one line he could work out the next ten. It wasn’t that he didn’t know what he should think, it was just that he was so brilliant that mind prep and tricks didn’t work on himself anymore. His mental clarity and scepticism was far too sharp for verbal encouragement.

Chris did the only thing he could. He tucked his right arm in his pocket and shot one handed with Piers, fumbling as badly in changing clips, missing his targets and punching a hole in the desk. He cursed up a storm right there with Piers. He asked Piers to help him change clips and in turn helped him with his. He didn’t even have to try to be shocking. He couldn’t remember the last time he trained seriously with his left hand.

Piers finally gave a slight smile. The legendary Chris Redfield was still a human after all. They let themselves get lost in the erratic rhythms of gunfire and curses over their earmuffs.

Chris put the guns away while letting Piers recover.  “Well, one last thing for today.  How about we try something else. Your bioelectricity.  Do you still think you have that in you?”

“I don’t want to use it Chris.” He looked away.

“Piers…” Chris stood back, unsure how to continue.

“I don’t want to be known as a freak, a bioweapon. OK?” He looked at a spot on the ground.

Chris signed. Piers can be stubborn that way. “Piers… I’m not asking you to fight with bioelectricity, Kaison and I need to know how it affects you, whether it still causes you pain, whether it does anything to the virus. This is part of monitoring your signs and vitals ok? You don’t need to use it unless you have to. But don’t push it. If it is going to hurt, don’t do it. You’re more important than that.”

Piers shrugged. He hasn’t tried to channel bioelectricity since he got back, but he felt he had good control over it.  He pointed his arm at the target and made Chris stand back. He tried to remember the neural connections. The heat. The rush of energy. The release. The destruction.

He looked at the target and commanded his body to fire just a pulse.

Boom!

A jolt of lighting shot to the target and burnt a hole about the size of a 9mm round.

“Yeah, like that. Was there any pain? Do you feel faint?” Chris said, concern in his voice.

“I’m ok Chris.” He launched another bolt, then another, and another. He couldn’t aim too well, as electricity never travelled in a straight line, but he still managed to get them all on target, and if anything, a live target would have been more conductive and harder to miss anyway.

“You sure you don’t feel anything?” Chris said, carefully studying Piers’ form.  “If it triggers or aggravates the virus then stop ok?”

Piers nodded. It felt strangely easy to fire shots, and the searing pain he had from Haos’ fight had gone.  This time Piers tried to charge up a shot, holding the strength in his mind before letting go.

BOOM. He burned a fist sized hole in the target.

Hazel eyes met brown. Both sets of brows raised.  Piers shrugged.

He charged another strike. Another hole.

“Ok let’s stop there.” Chris said. “Let me feel your arm, see if there’s anything different.  Let me know if you feel pain ok?”

He started from the shoulder, gently prodding and pushing with a firm touch, reading Piers’ face for any expression.  The skin was tough, and the muscle and sinew and bone underneath there tough and warm.  It felt warmer than a normal limb.

“Is it always this warm or was it from the bioelectricity?” He asked.

“We’ll find out later when we’ve cooled down a bit.” Piers gave a small smile, watching Chris massage his arm.  Chris was still tender and gentle, treating the limb as a part of himself.  It gave him some comfort that Chris considered his limb to still be normal, still part of who he is despite the odd shape and strange power.

“See, I feel fine, Chris. Nothing to worry about. I’m just a bit light headed, and… suddenly very hungry.” They headed back to base.

Both men were uncertain about the prospects, the road to recovery. Piers lost some of his shooting prowess, but he’s still a good shot and he could make up for it in time. More importantly, he has his bioelectric powers which required neither gun nor ammo.

“Let’s get some food in you Piers, can’t let you get hungry now.” Chris smiled and rubbed Piers’ hair affectionately.

“Yeah, I’d like that. Decent food this time, ok?”

* * *

 

By the time Piers came out of the long shower from his room, Chris had already came back with take out.

“Take a guess what I got Piers.”

“Hmm, fried rice?” Piers gave a sniff.

“Nope.”

“Chicken feet?”

“Nope.”

“Duck necks?”

“Haha, I’m not that adventurous yet!” Chris chuckled as he laid out the containers of aromatic pan fried and steamed parcels.

“Ooh you got dumplings!” Piers grinned and sat down excitedly.

“Err, I’m guessing you’re having those ones for yourself.” Piers pulled his head back looking at how red one of the containers were.

“They had an extra spicy option, so I thought why not!” Chris shrugged. Spiciness was his personal challenge. “All these other ones are fine though.”

“Thank heavens for chopsticks.” Piers grinned as he gracefully shifted a few dumplings to his bowl and added the vinegar. It bothered him that he couldn’t use a knife and fork, but being amongst the locals gave him faith that he can always stick to chopsticks for everything.

“Mmm. Nothing like dumplings with a dose of authenticity.” He busied himself eating and felt his mood improve with food.

Chris gave a smile watching his partner tuck food in. Piers seemed hungrier than usual, even for the heavy training they had.

“Eat Chris, I feel like I could eat everything.” Piers wasted no time enjoying his food.

“Don’t you worry, I got extra knowing you.  I can always get more Piers. Besides, I have all these to myself.” Chris finally tried the dumplings soaked in chilli oil.

“Oooh. These are great!” He had to take it slowly as the chilli sauce burned its way down his lips, tongue and throat, but it was good. Piers just shook his head. He preferred to actually taste his food.

“It was a cool little store. The owner guy just took a look at me and said ‘ooh you strong, big like bear, must eat bear size dumplings!’  Haha, I think he gave me extra for free. I think I’ll have to go back next time.”

“It’s probably just the BSAA badge on your shirt, Captain.” Piers smiled. He remembered that the Chinese were always very hospitable to visitors who were game enough to try the local foods, especially if they can take Sichuan spiciness.

“Ooh, he gave me these too as a gift. He said for me to try at the end.” Chris opened the last container they had.

“Awww. These are cute!” Piers laughed at the two rotund buns in the container, decorated with dough eyes and ears to look like panda faces. “A bear for a bear.”

He finished what he could, grabbed a panda bun in his hand and nibbled off an ear. “It has red bean paste filling Captain. Merah would soooo love these.”

“Panda red bean buns, what a surprise. Nice way to end the meal though.” Chris took the other bun and ate it. The light sweetness was a welcomed change  to soak up and soothe the burning oils.

“Thanks for lunch Chris, I feel better now.” Piers stretched and rubbed his tummy.

“Was it the bioelectricity that made you so hungry Piers?” Chris raised an eyebrow.

“Probably. I was feeling it after training anyway, but yeah, those charged shots took a bit out of me.”

“Well if the only effects were hunger then I ain’t complaining.” Chris chuckled. “Just don’t you throw any tantrums at me on the field ok?”

“Oh you wouldn’t hear the end of it Captain. You’re supposed to be our provider.” Piers raised his brows back in defiance.

“I’ll have to get Jill to look into some extra high energy rations for you then. You kept sneaking snacks in your pouches anyhow.” Chris admits defeat when it came to Piers and food.

“One day Chris…”

“… hmm?” Chris looked up, confused.

“… we’ll have to see the pandas. Together.” Piers grinned, and the playful spark was finally back in his eyes. “We’re in Sichuan after all, the home of pandas.”

“Hell yeah, once you get more used to being out, we’ll go spend a day with them.” He packed the containers away.

“Meet you relatives.” Piers took a drink.

“Excuse me!” Chris gave a smack to Piers’ shoulder.

“Hahaha. That look on your face.” Piers tried to wriggle, but the bear hug caught him too easily. “You should try to sleep a bit more Captain, unless you want me to show you how to use concealer.”

“You and your face painting Piers.” Chris shook his head in defiance. “It’s hard sleeping with nightmares.”

Piers gave a warm look and opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something.

“What is it?” Chris shrugged.

“Maybe… maybe we could try sharing a bed. Might help with the sleep.” He burst out laughing towards the end.

“With a look like that, it might just have the opposite effect.”

He leaned in.  The scruffy beard scratched the smooth shaven face, and Piers found his head cradled in Chris’ palm.

“Hmm… we’ll try it out once we check over things with Kaison ok?” Chris leaned in and once again found the soft pink lips.

“Chris…” Piers nodded shyly and kissed back, letting the hungry tongue into his moist cavity.

Chris hungrily sampled the sweetness of Piers within, feeling once again how nicely Piers fits into his arms, how soft and warm those lips are, how intense and rich the golden hazel eyes were at this level of intimacy.

The eyes were starting to redden and moisten. Piers was struggling against his lips.

“Ahhhh” Piers jerked his head back, reaching for the glass of water.

Chris pulled back, hurt, confused.

Piers motioned to Chris for more water. Chris poured another glass, but his heart was wounded looking at the tears running down Piers’ cheeks. What had he done?

“Piers… I’m sorry.” He ran his hand over Piers’ back, wondering what he had triggered.

Piers shook his head and wiped his eyes hastily with the back of his hand.

“Chris… ugh… it’s the chilli in your dumplings…”

“Oh.” Perhaps extra hot chilli oil wasn’t the best choice after all if kissing was to be on the menu.

* * *

 

 _BSAA Archives_  
Data file LC-06. July 2013.  
Recovered by Agents Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield, decrypted and collated by FOS to BSAA Headquarters.  
Security Classification: level 8.

**Neo Umbrella Project Records- Ustanak**

June 20, 2011

Finally!

At last I've been chosen! The report came back that my body type is highly compatible with the C-Virus! No longer will I have this frail, crude body. I will be reborn as a powerful weapon! There's chance I will no longer retain my humanity, but it is a paltry sacrifice in light of the wonderful gains. This is what I've dreamed about all my life.

I will be reborn!

June 27, 2012  
Sh e gave me the v irus ...hers elf  
What an h onor I am... happy  
He r touch made me c ry with hap piness  
Could n't sto p shaking...   
He r fing ers He r to uch Her s mile  
...only for me  
Her soo thing voice her good sm ell  
She is ...so b eaut iful  
M y go ddes s  
I a m h ers  
I will do an ything for her  
Anything Anything...

I fe el so... I feel s o... good

\--

June 27, 2011

Five days have passed since the test subject was administered with the C-Virus. All vital signs are stable.

This is not the ideal candidate for such a test, but considering how the previous 322 subjects all died within 24 hours, I'd say this is substantial progress. He was chosen well. The only setback is that the subject lost his right arm during a lab accident, and the C-Virus has shown an inability to regenerate it. Still, the subject shows potential in other areas we had not anticipated, and will make for a powerful bioweapon. That's good considering how pleased he was to be selected for this experiment.

July 2, 2011

The test subject has now been codenamed Ustanak, and in terms of raw strength and intelligence, it far outstrips any J'avo to date. It shows an uncanny ability in creating and choosing the appropriate weapons for apprehending its target.

Word has come down from the top that special weapons are being created for Ustanak, ones that will help it compensate for the loss of its right arm.

December 10, 2011  
Weapons for Ustanak are in development. We currently have a Vulcan, shotgun, and a drill for close-quarters combat. We thought this would be enough, but she told us to create an arm for it that would be suited to capturing someone.

I don't want to question her orders, but I wonder who she would want to capture.

Creating the arm has been very difficult. We have to do it right or it will end up like a claw in an arcade crane game; after all, the target won't just be sitting still for it like a toy in a glass box.

\--

December ??, 2012  
"15:01　We will use Ustanak to capture Jake Muller. Ustanak obeys only her orders, but once commanded, he carries out the orders until death. He is precisely ideal for personnel capture.

She's giving Ustanak the order to capture Jake now. She's gentle, it reminds me of a mother and a child...... She seems to understand Ustanak. Well, it's a sight from here"

\--

There is a high probability that Jake Muller is in a cave at site D24. We will have Ustanak wait here, but have Oko released and positioned at multiple sites in order to increase chances of apprehension. We've equipped Ustanak with new weapons, so hopefully he will be able to at least bring back a piece of Jake. All we need is some fresh blood.

But it would be great to have that woman he's with brought back alive. She looks good enough to eat. I bet she'd make a great sound under the knife. I'm getting excited just thinking about it. I can't wait to slide my scalpel across her creamy, snow-white skin, cut it open and take a long look at the inside.

\--

July 1, 2013  
"She has died. There's no longer anyone who can control Ustanak. However, he doesn't know. He wouldn't understand if we told him.  
Ustanak will merely continue to defend. Her order to capture Jake and Sherry will still stand even if he kills them"

"We equipped Ustanak with an iron ball as a new weapon and gave him a hookshot, like she used, and sent him after Jake and Sherry who are planning to escape from the seabed base. However, Ustanak's state is different. He's quiet. But I feel immeasurable anger and sorrow... maybe he knows his master is dead"

-End of File-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looks like Chris and Piers' intimate moments will just have to wait!  
> End of chapter file reproduced from Project Umbrella translations and in game files with minor corrections.


	13. Research Evaluation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaison summarises over results and plans for next steps in Piers' treatment.

Kaison looked over his collection of micrographs, blots and gels he ran with Piers’ blood sample, and now from Jake, Sherry and Simmons.

He had consulted with the physicians about Piers’ physiology after the scans, and everything seems more or less normal, apart from the mutant limb which has a different muscle and bone structure. Piers has a higher than normal internal temperature on his right half, and this increases slightly after using bioelectricity, but it did not seem to have a notable impact on his vitals.

On his desk sat the latest report from Ada Wong documenting her plans for the C-virus

* * *

 

_Enhanced C-Virus Instrumentality research file_

_Located from Neo-Umbrella Research Archives by Agent Wong’s infiltration team_

_Security clearance classification: level 10._

**Goal of Project**

Determine and reproduce instrumentality of existing C virus, enhance with new components for delivery of greater genetic material towards user augmentation and perfection

_Date: Apr 2013_

Location: Experimental and Research Facility 05, Waiyip, Lanshiang, China

_Notes from research team:_

Director Wong requested research into enhanced version of our C-virus towards user augmentation and perfection.

Thus far, based on information procured from Simmons labs from our spies we have been able to reverse engineer some of the process and techniques of C-virus instrumentality on a top secret project. One which has likely been tested on over thousands of subjects. Evidently controlling C-virus instrumentality had been difficult. We are not yet certain what the goal of this project was, but signs point towards the creation of an individual with very specific characteristics.

Tests ran on blood samples of our leader Ada Wong are concerning. There are no signs of active C-virus mutation or possible contact through transmission, but there have been signs that she was injected or at least exposed, if not mutated by the C virus herself.

Compounds isolated from Subject Muller and Subject Birkin holds promise. It is likely we can augment the instrumentality of the C-virus to deliver a larger quantity of genetic material to alter the recipient’s physiology without dominating their consciousness or leave them prone to uncontrolled mutations or cause secondary infections.

Activation of sequence TGA B2C1 ensures C virus used for vector delivery mode only over infection. Isolation of IgG from subject Muller show possible route towards faster integration with host DNA. Compounds derived from exposure of Subject Birkin’s blood to C-virus show faster integration process and bypass chrysalid stage. Further testing needed to determine stability point for optimised mutation rate versus regeneration rate. Live tests required to determine extent and possibilities of perfection through Enhanced C-virus Instrumentality. We hope we won’t need the thousands of test subjects Simmon labs required. Animal testing will commence pending director sign off.

Director notes:

Initiative Project C will begin based on current C virus instrumentality. With recent success in Project B, Human male subjects are to be secured for testing and integration based on subject [redacted]’s DNA. Subjects must have stable and superior genetic structure with little or no DNA damage. If possible screen subjects against family cancer history as well as other genetic abnormalities.

Project A will continue based on enhanced C-virus development. We need to develop the perfect form of this virus. I will experiment with compounds isolated from subject Muller and Birkin to this effect.

* * *

 

He was overwhelmed with information, trying to sort things out, racing against time to get Piers well, to understand the enemy before they strike again.

The virus is dormant within Piers.  He has managed to isolate a sample in Piers’ blood.  It hasn’t actively infected other cells it came in contact with, but he hasn’t tried it on animals yet. Too risky for animal research.

He also had isolated a sample in Simmons blood.  They shared a lot of similarities, but had adapted differently to the hosts.  Simmons’ sample seemed far more aggressive, out of control. Piers’ was dormant, peaceful even. It was strange. It seemed the virus was almost reacting to the host’s emotions.  Or perhaps to the level and extent of mutations. After all, Leon did say Simmons slipped further and further as his power and strength increased. In either case, it would take a lot of research and study to re-engineer the enhanced C-virus

He stared at the main headings he had for his research for enhanced C-virus and expanded his notes as he go.

1\. Design purpose of the enhanced C-virus

2\. Physical stability/ extent of mutation

3\. Mental stability/ indoctrination

4\. How infectious is the virus

5\. Ways to reverse and cure the mutation

**1\. Design Purpose of the enhanced C-virus:**

Our panel collectively agreed the enhanced C-virus was for the primary use of Carla Radames and execution of her plans for world domination and revenge against Simmons. It appeared only three vials were created for three recipients, but we are unsure if more exist, or if all three vials had the same contents. So far the vials had been administered to Carla Radames (self-injected), Derek C. Simmons (forcibly injected) and Piers Nivans (self-injected).

Subject 1- Carla Radames

One of the vials was to be used by Carla herself. The goal here obviously would not be for her to have lost herself to a mutation, but to enhance her power, or to recover her prior identity/persona, or to establish immunity or control from the standard C-virus in such a way to allow her to rule over the resultant chaos in an infected world. Carla had seemed to be able to retain a sense of control over C-virus infected subjects previously. It is possible the enhanced C-virus may increase the reach of that connection.

This meant that the enhanced C-virus is most likely a used as a vector agent rather than as an infection agent.  It was for delivery of superior genetic information to the host. Whatever it was, Carla needed the enhanced C-virus to do it because she was already immune to the standard C- virus from Simmons’ experiments. The elimination of the chrysalid stage is likely extremely important for the recipient to still maintain their memories and sense of self. From reports so far, apart from Carla herself, everyone else who had hatched from a chrysalid had lost their mind, memories, and most often their humanity.

Subject 2- Derek C. Simmons

For whatever reason, Carla had decided to inject Simmons with a version of the enhanced C-virus as well.  Her first explicit stated reason is for torture and revenge- for Simmons to lose his sense of self, but not die, and watch the stability and order that his Family had built crumple and fall apart. This was to be her revenge on him in body, in mind and spirit in kind of what he had inflicted on her.

Yet… how could she ensure Simmons wouldn’t fight against her? That his powers wouldn’t rebel against her if the virus was equally powerful? Afterall, Simmons did destroy the Quad Tower site and may have done more if he wasn’t stopped by Leon, Helena and Ada.

C-virus infected subjects seem to obey the wishes of the ones administering the virus, even if it was indirectly. Perhaps the enhanced C-virus delivery give Carla potential to dominate over or control Simmons’ will, even if he was still ‘conscious.’ We agree this would have been a cruel form of revenge, forcing one’s will on another unwilling subject who was conscious of what they’ve been forced to do. Colonel Valentine had been involved in similar situations under P30. It’s possible Simmons was left ‘uncontrolled’ due to the death of Radames.

Subject 3- Subject ‘C’.

Carla had made reference to her greatest creation as subject C, and it seemed likely that the enhanced C-virus was made for subject C also.  Who was the intent? What was the purpose?  Ada Wong mentioned it was a man, and Carla had intended to create a doppelganger of another to serve under her.  Was it Simmons? It might have made sense, to have a cloned Simmons, the one she used to love under her control and beck and call, but then if she already have dominance over the real Simmons, there would have been no need to create another.

Who else was useful to Carla?  Ustanak? Notes suggested Carla was motherly towards him, but he was already created, and he was imperfect and little more than a tool in her eyes. Chris Redfield? Did Carla want to create a fake Chris to confuse the BSAA? Did she have feelings for Chris? Leon Kennedy?

Why did the enhanced C-virus need to be used?  Was it needed to overcome a special immunity in the recipient? Perhaps something to do with the injected genome. Subject C was created based on the normal C-virus, perhaps like Carla herself, the process would render Subject C immune to the regular C-virus. What was to be the purpose of the enhanced C-virus for subject C? For further control and domination? For further augmentation of the subject’s physical prowess?

In either case, Piers Nivans injected himself with the dose instead of subject C. Just how did that upset Carla’s plans? More importantly, how would this affect Piers? Piers had remained in complete control so far and did not mention any domination, perhaps the self-administration allowed him to be his own master, or that Carla’s death freed him from any hold she may have. He certain has a lot of potential as a force of destruction

**2\. Physical stability/ extent of mutation**

Piers’ muscle tissue from his left arm is human. In his right it was still presenting as human muscle tissue but the microtubules and filaments are tougher, denser.  Nucleic acid testing and histological analysis from both samples showed similar genome and phenotypes.  The genome is similar but ideally a copy of Piers’ DNA from cells before mutation should be obtained for accurate comparison.

One key difference in muscle tissue structure was that the _fascia_ of Piers’ right arm is structurally different and superior on multiple levels compared to normal human tissue. The fascia on Pier’s left arm also showed signs of enhancement. As the fascia is the connective tissue ‘wrap’ over individual muscle groups its enhance gives the user enhanced neural integration and fine control over muscle movements, and enable better recruitment of muscle bundles and fibres from macro to micro level. In essence this has the potential to grant seemingly superhuman strength by maximising and harnessing force generation from every single muscle fibre. This may be a wild speculation but the bioelectricity may also be conducted through this fascia network throughout Piers’ body, rather than a separate organ and may have also improved his intrinsic resilience as well as healing and regenerative potential.

Comparison with muscle tissue obtained from J’avo subjects from operatives in Waiyip also showed superior fascia enhancement particularly in the mutated and regenerated limb. In fact it is the development of the muscular fascia that enables the distinctly non-human and super strength limbs to be developed- long whip like arms, wing like appendages and high tension tendons on the legs for example. Piers should be able to exhibit superior strength in his limb given time.

Adaptation of the fascia to maintain human physiological order while retain its superior microstructure might allow Piers to regenerate and reorganise his right hand back to a human form and retain bioelectric power. However we have no ideas as yet how to direct this regeneration.

From reports of Ada Wong, Leon Kennedy and Helena Harper, Simmons and Carla have been described to have the capability of unconventional, almost infinite regeneration and mutation capabilities, showing a prowess to assimilate biomass from other infected zombies or even inanimate objects.  In Simmons it still featured insectoid characteristics as well as the ability to adopt vastly different but massive physiological forms. Simmons had been shown to grab zombies and integrate its mass for healing.  Carla had produced enough slime biomaterial to overtake and integrate with the inorganic structure of the aircraft carrier. Both of these cases suggest the enhanced C-virus is adaptive and opportunistic of its immediate environment and can consume both biomass and inorganic matter to power itself.

Piers also reported his infected arm assimilating with Haos’ tissue or essence, and this was a key factor towards his survival from the deep sea up thanks to the viscous fluid that filled his lungs and preserved him in the capsule. It made sense, seeing that Piers had been significantly wounded and lost blood then and needed biomass desperately to recover.  It is unknown if this assimilation will cause further benefits or problems for Piers later on.

**3\. Mental stability/ indoctrination**

It was known that C-virus mutation recipients had retained their mental faculties, reasoning, powers of speech, loyalty and capability of following orders to their death. This gave the master of C-viral mutant forms unprecedented control over their subjects.  Now that we are certain Carla intended to use the enhanced C-virus for herself, it was definitely the case the user should retain full control and command of their mental faculties.  It wouldn’t make sense for Carla to lose her mind.  Yet she did… what happened?

Ada Wong reported Carla had a mishmash of both her personalities - she believed she was the real Ada Wong, and yet she still called for Simmons both longingly and in revenge. It was evident the Carla persona and the indoctrinated Ada persona had battled in her mind, with neither gaining the upper hand and thus causing the virus to continuing in pursuing her objectives even if she had lost her mind.  She was still capable of hatred- to kill the real Ada Wong, and of survival, to bring down Simmons. We are unsure if she survived what would have become of her psyche and what her new objectives would be. My personal theory is that in Simmons’ ‘Project Ada’ the chrysalid process may have still caused significant shifts and reorganisation of Carla’s cognitive functions that she cannot get it fully back, and this combined with the indoctrination of Ada’s persona meant she never had very solid mental capabilities in general. The power of the enhanced C-virus may have been stunted in part if her mind could not remain in control.

Simmons was injected against his will, and he slowly lost control of the forms of mutations he had, which grew steadily in power and prowess, but he could still switch back to his human form.  We hypothesised that it was related to the power struggle he had with Carla initially. The virus obeyed indirectly the wishes of the one who did the injecting.  Yet after Carla’s death Simmons lost control probably due to his lust for power, and abandonment by the Family.  He desired control, to regain his power at all costs, even if he lost his human form.

We are unsure of the implications for this for Piers Nivans.  Subject C was almost certainly to be controlled and dominated if Carla were to carry out the injection. However, Piers injected himself- his will was to survive, to protect Chris, to shoot, to kill Haos. Piers mentioned that at his injection he was certain of his will, desperate for himself to remain in control, and he did.  The virus did not seem to have persuaded his control or affected his mental faculties.  Granted, Piers had a very resilient psychological makeup bolstered by years of elite training in the Special Forces and in the BSAA. His innate capacity to resist indoctrination would have been far stronger than Carla Radames and even Simmons as an aged advisor, albeit one time Lieutenant General.  Would Piers ever lose control? He fought hard and used the bioelectricity to defeat Haos, but was allowed to heal and recover during his incubation period, whereas both Ada and Derek were forced to fight and use the power extensively after injection to their deaths.  The only time he doubted was when the virus assimilated material from Haos for his own regeneration.  We hypothesised that Piers’ will and mental fortitude would be key towards directing the virus’ mutation. 

**4\. How infectious is the virus**

Thus far the C-virus can be and has been used as a vector to deliver genetic material based on Simmons’ Project Ada and Carla’s Project C. The C-virus was also able to actively cause widespread grotesque mutation via direct injection or secondary injection to form zombies.  Based on evidences compiled, the enhanced C-virus was primarily used as a vector to alter the genetic structure and prowess of the host without causing infection to others.  Plan D and Haos were developed as the designated tool for global infection, so there’s no sense in building redundancy.

Chris Redfield had exchanged bodily fluids with Piers and so far had no signs of infection or mutation, so it seemed very likely that unless Piers’ condition deteriorates he is not a biohazard risk to those he is in contact with.

**5\. Ways to reverse and cure the mutation**

I had ran tests on samples of Jakes’ and Sherry’s blood, and compared the notes already compiled from UN research labs, the BSAA and Ada’s lab.

The more we studied the genome of the virus and Jake’s blood the more likely it seems the enhanced C-virus was engineered specifically to overcome Jake’s immunity. This definitely ruled out using Jake’s blood and antibodies, at least on its own to overcome the C-viral mutation. That is not to say that Jake is not immune to the enhanced C-virus. It may well be that exposing Jake’s blood to the enhanced C-virus might create a set of new antibodies that we can extract as a serum for Piers.

Reactions between the C-virus samples and Sherry’s antibodies and blood extract proved to be more informative.  From their counterintelligence they had established the C-virus had been created based on modification of the T-veronica virus and the G-virus from Sherry, without the setback of long incubation time.  The C-virus gave many of its recipients insectoid characteristics.

Some infected exposed to C-virus were able to have their infection reversed by Anti-C from UN labs, but C-virus subjects exposed to severe injury and mutations have all died after being in contact with Anti-C.  Based on the development the enhanced C-virus with Jake’s blood, it’s very likely injecting Piers with Anti-C would either have no effect (as the enhanced C-virus is not a match) or cause significant disruption to his physiology.  If it doesn’t kill him outright, it would be a battle between the virus’ own regenerative potential and the potential of Piers’ own body. There’s no question which is stronger at present.

On the subject of regenerative potential, Sherry had mentioned she had developed significant regenerative potential as a result of exposure and subsequent immunity to the G-virus. Testing of Sherry’s white blood cells with the enhanced C-virus from Simmons showed intense reaction between blood proteins which were coagulating and anticoagulating as the cells tried to fight off the C-virus. There were heavy attrition from both sides, but even as mutations took place the regenerative capability of Sherry’s blood allowed a critical population of defence cells to be in place and resist full mutation.

This finding may have been useless to Neo-Umbrella, who wanted to make the C-virus more penetrative, not less, but it in itself was not a vaccine either, and hence Jake’s blood was still integral for project B. Yet this may be important for Piers.  Our labs will need to isolate and study the cytokines and immune from Sherry’s blood and perhaps introduce them to Piers.  If Piers could develop the same regenerative factors in his blood, he might in time be able to sustain and regenerate through enough trauma in his body to reverse the complete C-viral mutation.

In a way, Jake and Sherry are remarkable a pair from their blood. Sherry’s antibodies would be a shield to bolstered Piers’ innate capability to overcome physical wounds and resist viral resistance. Jake’s antibodies would be the sword to fight the effects of the C-virus head on.

Still, I speculate that this alone was not enough.  Piers only has one chance to get well, and we do not want to proceed with an attempt of a cure if there are still unknown risks and drastic consequences.  I’ll need to study other cases of viral infection and host antibody development.  Recommend consultation with the BSAA on agents who have been exposed to virus infection. I am fairly sure Merah had left some notes about this in her earlier work. Merah… maybe you can save Piers again even from heaven…

In conclusion, Piers is in a stable state in his physiology and mental states and is not a risk to himself or others via direct infection. We need further research to investigate ways of promoting healing and recovery towards his human form and to remove the effects of the enhanced C-virus, if they prove unstable and of potential harm.  We are a lot closer than from where we’ve started, but it’s only the beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this got a little academic or technical, I tried to tone it down. It might also be a bit dry to read as it's basically a very relaxed lab report (I write enough other ones) but it's some of my key ideas about how the virus enhances a subject's strength and possible means of treatment. Next chapter will be more fun.
> 
> The ideas about enhancing muscle fascia to improve performance is quite legit, it's a fascinating field of study.


	14. DNA Sampling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaison needs a DNA sample from Piers... Captain helps him.

Kaison met up with the pair in the morning to go over the recent findings. “Chris and Piers, I’ve gone over an assessment of the enhanced C-virus and jotted down a few notes for you to look over.” He passed his report to the pair to have a look. “We’ll need to discuss a number of things.

Firstly it sounds like the bioelectricity is innate, that it doesn’t cause pain or eat away at your health, Piers, or changed your organs and makeup too much. Secondly, you are not an infection risk to others, although we will continue monitoring your status over the next few months. Thirdly, in time we may be able to enhance your regenerative potential and get your arm back and perhaps get rid of the virus.”

The news was certainly good. Both men read the reports, uncertain how to proceed with the information.

“Anti-C…” Chris started with their plan of action from last time.

“We better hold off Anti-C for now.” Kaison shook his head. “My colleagues from TerraSave and the BSAA reported subjects with an advanced stage of C-virus mutation did not survive their exposure to anti-C. The enhanced C-virus was specifically designed from Jake’s blood to overcome original immunity to the C-virus. It’s not going to work on its own without something else to balance it out.”

“Like what else?” Piers asked.

“I’m thinking something along the lines of Sherry’s blood. Sherry actually has a special cytokine in her body that enables her to have remarkable regenerative potential to heal and recover from injuries.  I’m thinking if we can somehow allow you to develop those cytokines and compounds you can resist the negative or uncontrolled mutations caused by the C-virus.”

Chris and Piers exchanged a look. Sherry’s blood… nobody had thought of it before, but perhaps it can help.  Perhaps it could even stabilise and reverse Piers’ current mutation.

“Can it help me grow my arm back?” Piers asked with hope in his voice. It was a long shot, but who knows… the viruses have been far more potent than anything they’d known.

“Piers. That leads to the next point of what I want to talk about. I think the virus greatly enhances your body’s potential, but it has to be directed with you mind. I believe the circumstances when you injected yourself, and your strength of will following that allowed the virus to channel your will and restricted your mutation to what it is.  Correct me if I was wrong, but you specifically told yourself that you have to stay in control, and you need an arm back?”

“Yes, that’s right. I was expecting a J’avo type arm, so I guess that’s what I got. Then I realised I couldn’t shoot a gun, but it gave me power to shoot bioelectricity instead.  I told myself to stay in control, and apart the pain and the strangeness of bonding with the virus I didn’t’ feel myself slipping.”

“Yes, I believe if you keep telling yourself to get your old arm back, it may just happen over time.  Things like fingers for example. Keep telling yourself you want your fingers back. I have a funny feeling the effects of the enhanced C-virus will respect your wishes.”

“Uh… seems a bit farfetched, but I’ll try. I mean, it doesn’t cost me anything at least.” He focused his mind and told himself he wants his normal human hand.  He could feel the limb warm a bit, and some of the bony protrusions felt a bit tingly, but nothing observable happened.

“It feels warm, but nothing’s happening.” He felt over his arm and gave a shrug.

“Just keep doing it whenever you have a moment, we’ll see how it goes ok?” Kaison said.

“Chris, I have two other questions.”

“Go ahead Kaison.”

“The first is regarding Piers’ innate immunity.  Correct me if I am wrong, but all BSAA officers had their blood screened for viral susceptibility right?”

“Yes, during their training and induction we test their blood to see if it has some basic resistance to viral infection, and if it was found lacking, we gave them injections to boost the immunity. After all, we are at the highest risk of exposure to all types of new and exotic virus. Even DSO agents like Leon have been screened. He didn’t get through the heart of Tatchi and come out unscathed for nothing.”

“Was Piers’ response boosted?”

“I don’t believe so. His blood had an innate level of resistance.”

“Alright. After studying Jake and Sherry’s blood, I was thinking I want to compare it with other compounds and agents created as a result of developing resistance and immunities to viral infections. Do the BSAA have other agents who have any special powers or resistances?”

“Yes, we do. Jill Valentine, for one. She developed a special resistance against the t-virus from Raccoon city but was administered with a serum.  After being held by Wesker the t-virus mutated and reactivated in her body, but Jill developed a special antibody to overcome and eradicate it totally.  The antibodies were used by Wesker with the progenitor virus to develop the Uroboros virus. Perhaps her blood samples might have something to help Piers.” He was deep in thought.  If Jill’s blood could be used by Wesker to develop something as deadly as the Uroborus virus, who is to say there isn’t anything that can help Piers overcome his virus too?

“There’s also… my sister Claire, and her colleague Moira Burton. They were both kidnapped by Alex Wesker in 2011 and injected with a virus called t-Phobos.  The virus didn’t cause a mutation until the subject was exposed to a severe dose of fear.  Moira Burton managed to overcome and eradicate the virus despite having crossed the fear threshold, and Claire had stabilised enough and developed antibodies to prevent her turning, though I’m not sure if the virus had been completely eradicated in her. If you had time, perhaps you should run tests with both of them too and check if there are still any presentable risks.” His heart ached at the thought of Claire turning.  It was bad enough to have his kid sister kidnapped and injected, and now both Claire and Piers had been exposed to viruses.  He wondered when it was his turn.

“Captain, it's ok.  Claire is fine, I will be too.” Piers held Chris’ hand, noticing Chris’ discomfort.

“With your arrangement Chris, I’d like to obtain blood samples from Jill, Claire and Moira. I can also help examine Claire and Moira to test if they are immune to t-Phobos’s effects. While we’re at it, Chris, I might as well get your blood too, just as a baseline comparison and see how resistant you are.  You’ve fought bioterrorism so long, perhaps it is in your blood after all.” He gave a reassuring smile. That’s three more leads and samples to compare.

“Haha, I’d sure hope so. I’d be over the moon if my blood can cure Piers.” Chris smiled and put an arm around Piers.

“One last thing Chris. Does Piers have any tissue sample kept anywhere before he turned? I’d like to compare his DNA structure and look for changes.”

“Oh… no, we don’t have anything like that.  I mean you have his hair samples and fluid samples now… but we don’t have anything frozen or stored…”

“That’s going to be a bit more challenging then…” Kaison said, brows furrowed, thinking of an alternative.

“I have an idea, though… it is somewhat… different. Fortunately, Piers is a guy.”

“Huh?” Piers looked up, wondering where the conversation was going.

“The body has some areas of immune privilege. The brain, back in the days, but that’s been proven false for some virus. Other parts include the eyes, the placenta and fetus… and the testicles.” He said, looking at Piers.

“My... you mean… my nuts…” Piers facepalmed. His face then turned white. “Wait, hold on....no no no no no…I’m not letting you take a biopsy sample down there…” He hid behind Chris who cringed in sympathy.

Kaison held his palm up in defeat. “Relax, it’s going to be more work for me, but I believe a semen sample is enough to help us construct your DNA profile before you were infected.  It is highly unlikely that a virus would alter the genetic material of your gametes, but even if they do, human sperm matures over 64 days, so the semen in your body is still untainted now and for a few more weeks.” He said, watching Piers grow redder and redder with the topic.

“Hey, don’t be embarrassed, if you were a girl I’d have to do surgery on you. Lucky for you, you’d just need a helping hand.” He gave Chris a wink.

“What? Oh. Um... hey if you need his samples to help him get better then we’ll do what it takes.” Chris nodded and squeezed Piers’ shoulder.

“Piers, have you ever wanted to freeze sperm or have children in the future?”

“Um… I don’t know, I’ve never thought about it, but I’ve… always been gay so I don’t really think of it that way.  If anything it’d be mum and dad…”

“I’d arrange for you to make some deposits in our sperm bank in case anything happens ok? I’ll get the doctors to check the quality and you’ll need to make a deposit at least once a week till we have enough samples. It’d be a failsafe, if nothing else, and the BSAA can sign off for it so it won’t cost you personally. I’ll drop off some sample cups for you later.  It doesn’t matter how it’s collected, just have it delivered to my lab within an hour of ejaculation at room temperature.”

“With that, I’ll let you get to it.” He left the room, and shortly after a nurse brought in a bag with a number of sample cups with instructions.

* * *

 

“So Piers… um...  We’ll need samples of your troopers. You must have been busting to shoot anyway, having weeks of that stuff stored up.” Chris said, looking over Piers with an apologetic expression.

“Chris…” Piers found himself in Chris’ arms but he buried his face in the crook of Chris’ neck. Having a talk about his semen with the doctor was bad enough, and having to let Chris help him extract a sample turned it downright mortifying.

“Uh… you’ll need help, I think.” Chris said, thinking of the mechanics… someone will have to hold the cup, at least.

“Oh God... Captain…” Piers was blushing, and he definitely had a strong erection thinking about what he has to do.

“Look Piers, we’re both guys, we’ve both whacked off and we’ve seen each other in the showers plenty of times. It can be as standard or… as… enjoyable as you’d like.” Chris was fast warming up to the idea of being slightly more intimate with Piers. After all, they’d kissed and got comfortable with one another anyway, and they’ve trained and lived together on base for years.

“Yeah but this is different…” well, Piers had definitely had the awkward boner around the Captain a bunch of times, and he had definitely noticed when Chris got aroused at the gym or in the showers, but they had never acknowledged it and just carried on.

Chris shut the curtains on the windows and locked the door.

“Relax Piers, doctor’s orders, so we might as well get comfortable. Besides, I think you’ll enjoy it.”

“Cap.. captain…”

“Look, if it makes you feel uncomfortable, I’ll let you… play with mine later too ok?” Chris also looked down at the admission.

Piers blushed further. How was that going to make things less awkward? Chris sure is strange at times, but he was still excited at the thought.  “Ok.” He looked up with a grin.

“Haha, look at you. You’ve been wanting this for ages haven’t you?”

“Chrisss!!” He looked back down, tracing the outline of Chris’ bulge with his gaze. “Yes.”

“Don’t worry, I can barely resist getting my hands all over you anyway. Let’s take that robe off.” He unfastened the robe easily over the sniper’s torso, revealing the pale firm musculature beneath before Piers can protest. He took in the sight of the naked torso lovingly, and Piers was embarrassed at the Captain so openly leering at him, but he obviously liked what he saw.

“Your body is still so hot, so perfect.” He said, finally laying hands on the soft skin, making sure he spend time caressing and fondling Piers’ right side as well as his left. Piers inhaled sharply and tensed at the touch, but Chris’ touch helped him relax shortly after. The regeneration was remarkable; Piers’ torso was still flawless and looked perfectly normal.  He lovingly ran his hands across the exposed skin, feeling the small goosebumps over the sniper and the two pink erect nipples that begged to be touched.  He stole a glance down. Piers had a very visible bulge beneath his sweat shorts.  

“Looks like you’re liking this, Piers.” He cupped the bulge gently, gave a small squeeze and Piers shuddered.

“Let’s get you on the bed.” He guided Piers to the edge of the bed, running his hands hungrily over the smooth flesh.  Piers groped with his free hand too, running his left hand over Chris’ chiselled body, slipping it into the shirt and delighting himself in the furry creases.

Chris tugged his shirt off and tossed it on the bed, and laid down next to Piers.

“See, we’re naturals at this. Nothing to be embarrassed of. I still love you how you are, you are already perfect in my eyes. And now that I see the way you look at me, I know you’ve been checking me out for a while, haven’t you.” He ran his hands over Piers’ right arm and made a point of kissing it.

“Chris…” Piers’ eyes were glimmering with moisture. It had meant a lot to hear that Chris still thinks he was perfect, in looks, in personality, in ability.

“I still remembered the first time you undressed to shower. God, I boned up right away…” Piers smiled guiltily at the admission.

“Is that why you always stood so far away from me? I thought I just stank too much or something.”

“You wouldn’t believe how _hard_ it was Chris.” He half leaned over Chris and let their bodies touch, and Chris leaned in closer and closer.

Rough lips rubbed over tender pink ones, and the hands groped and grasped and slid on whatever flesh they could find, feeling their desire and temperature rise with the joy of a shared connection.

“Chris, I’m leaking…” Piers said, feeling the arousal over take him.  Kaison’s conversation had reminded him just how full to the brim he was with cum and suddenly he felt he really needed the release.

Chris placed his hands at the back of Piers’ ass and gave the cheeks a squeeze, and drew his hand down, bringing with it both Pier’s briefs and his shorts and let Piers kick it off. He helped Piers lean back, and gave a big smile seeing Piers’ hardness spring up, jutting eagerly to meet him.

“Well look who’s out to say hi.” He grasped the shaft in his hand, feeling how hot and how thick the member is, feeling it quiver and pulse with a potent dose of nerves and desire and lust.

“Chris…” Piers laid down, giving an embarrassed smile watching the captain tenderly work his strong hand over his steely flesh and gave it a couple of slow pumps as if he was evaluating a new weapon.

“You pack a powerful rifle there. Any trooper would be proud of what you’ve got.” Chris smile, slowly tugging Piers and drawing the foreskin over the sensitive tip. Even the width of his large hand wasn’t enough to cover Pier’s erection.  He squeezed and stroked, feeling the oozing of pearly precum from the pink head, and he slicked it over the warm member. “And now it’s mine.”

Piers gasped. He’d only ever been dreaming about situations like these, but here he was, on a bed and Chris was stroking him tenderly. “God Chris, I can’t believe this is happening for real…” He looked longingly into the walnut brown eyes, and Chris read for once just how much his partner had desired his touch, his attention all along.

“Piers, I’ve got you. I’ve been waiting this too. You have no idea how hot you are.” He leaned in for another kiss, stroking slowly the hard member in his hand.

“Chris…” his breathing was faster, and he thrusted slightly into Chris’ hand.  It barely took anything for him to be turned on, and he just so longed for release.

“Feeling the need? Let me get the cup.” He reached across, pulled out the yellow capped sample container and placed it on the bed.  The opening wasn’t much thicker than Piers' member, he’d have to aim him well.

Piers placed his arm on Chris’ back, squeezing and running it over the skin as Chris worked his rod with an increased pace.  His abs were tight, moaning and heaving at delight and desire.  His body shook and his mind was whiting out from the sensations from his groin, the thought that his Captain, the one and only Chris Redfield was helping him rub one out… the fingers tighten in its touch, and the tug took on an unquenchable ferocity… the fingers that gripped around the 909, the combat knife, were now holding his own twitching, eager barrel.

“Yeah, like that, just like that… ugh… Chris…” He panted, his breathing was a mess, his abs hurt a little from being clenched for so long but it didn’t matter, his cock was pleasured so much he could barely feel anything else.

“Captain… I’m going to shoot…” He warned Chris as he felt the climax approach.  Chris drew the container and held it over the tip, tightening the grip on Piers and kept working it up.

“Captainnnnnn… ahhhh … ahhhh….ahhhhh” Piers jerked rhythmically with the peaks of his climax as thick ropes of creamy cum spurt from his cock and landed in the plastic container which Chris held.  He moaned and cried at each spurt, overwhelmed in pleasure and delight.  He felt himself cumming and cumming, over three weeks of pent up release finally relieved just a tad under his Captain’s personal touch. It overtook his body and mind. The pent up physical release, but also the emotional intensity sharing their first act of physical intimacy. He had never dreamt they’d go this far, and yet, this was only a beginning.

“Oh Piers… what a load you have there.” Chris smiled and gave a light squeeze on the relaxed barrel, milking the last drops over his fingers.  His hand was covered with cum too and he gave Piers a wink and took a sample with his tongue.  It was warm, hot and very slightly bitter, but there was a lasting sweetness of honey after the initial sharpness. He hungrily slurped up what he got on his fingers and looked at the container.

“Look at that, you’re an ace in bed too aren’t ya?” The container was filled to a third full with Piers’ creamy batter. He was a young soldier in his prime after all, without the outlet of sexual release for weeks so it was no surprise he was such a shooter. He capped the container, feeling the burning warmth even through the plastic.

“Piers, I think we’ll have to clean the pipes again tomorrow. Saving up so much spunk ain’t good for your health.” Chris used his commander’s voice, but he started chuckling halfway as Piers gave him a playful punch.

“Cap..captain.” Piers ran his hand over his captain’s nipples and made its way down. “I… haha, haven’t forgotten your offer from earlier.”

“Oh?” Chris gave a smirk, and guided Pier’s hand through the leg opening of his shorts.  Piers groped the warm bulge, then helped Chris tug his shorts and undies off, a smile spreading over his face as he finally found his fingers over the rigid contours of the Captain’s barrel.

“Chris…” He squeezed the shaft over the fabric. Feeling the wet spot on the tip. “You must have been saving up for a while too.”

“Oh man, been pent up since China.  I haven’t been in the mood without you around, and besides, I was strapped to a bed for a while anyway.” Chris leaned in and gave a slight kiss on Piers’ forehead.

The sniper bit his lip lightly , but looked up and smiled as he rubbed over the shaft. “Never thought I’d live to see this day come true.” Piers looked at his right limb sadly but didn’t say anything, and slowly stroked Chris’ hardness as the older man relaxed. “I don’t know how this works with one hand, and I haven’t done anything like it, so I’m sorry if it won’t be as good as you…”

“Piers, don’t worry about it. I’m so horny I could paint you with cum just staring at you.” Chris just smiled and leaned back, letting Piers explore his body with his fingertips. He was gentle, exceptionally delicate, as if a sculptor examining every detail and texture of a revered masterpiece, giving appreciative, subtle caresses over his skin, not willing to miss a detail over each ridge of muscle.

“I’m not made of glass you know.” He smiled and ran his fingers around Piers’ side.

Piers griped harder, feeling the pulse of Chris’ cock in his palm and he let out a sigh. “I’ve spent years wondering how that feels in my palm. It’s certainly bigger than it looks…”

Chris chuckled. He’d caught far too many rookies check him out. His legendary status was based as much on his conquests on the fields as the times in the showers. “You’re still the only other BSAA guy to have touched it Piers, aren’t you special.”

Piers grinned. “Really? Captain?”

“Come on, I’ve had female partners for years. We don’t share showers together.” Chris laughed. He can’t imagine Jill or Sheva seeing him in this state.

“Who knows, girls are always good at undressing men with their eyes.” Piers gave a cheeky grin.

“Yeah well they aren’t an eagle eyed sniper with the President’s hundred tab.” Chris gave Piers a light punch. “Who knows what you get up to Piers when you’re watching my back?”

“Haha. You know me too well.” Piers shrugged. If he’s perched on a post there wasn’t too much to do most of the time, and the scope was... convenient.

He worked his fingers steadily over the long hard cock, watching Chris intently for feedback and adapting his grip and intensity.

“Oh yeah Piers…” Chris’ breathing got more intense, and he moaned lightly at Piers’ touch. “Keep it up, yeah…” He smiled and closed his eyes, focusing on the pleasure that Piers was bringing him.

“Mmm… I’m about to…” He shot a warning, but Piers kept working, and before long Chris was shooting sky high, globs of cum flying feet in the air before landing back on his abs and chest with a light thud.

“Look at you Chris, so strong even in your climax. We’ll have to watch for the ceiling next time!”  Piers laughed seeing how much force Chris had behind his ejaculation.

“Man, that was a hell of a load. I so needed that.” Chris sighed in contentment. His load easily matched Piers’ for volume.  He grinned as Piers dipped a finger in the spunk and sampled it, then another drop, and another drop. Before long he was licking off every bit of cum off Chris’ body.

“Holy shit Piers, you like me that much?” He had a broad smile on his face. Knowing Piers likes him was one thing, having Piers slurp him up like it was precious candy gave him immense pride and joy.

“Only you can satisfy me, Captain.” Piers grinned back, a drop of white still on the corner of his mouth.

“Next time, we might try this..” He licked his lips, and Chris purred in anticipation. “Although I heard that if you eat too much spicy food it changes the taste.”

“Piers, leave me something to enjoy in life will ya?” Chris groaned.

“You have this.” Piers winked and pointed to himself. Chris feigned defeat.

“It’s not even lunchtime yet Piers, hope you still have energy for PT after all that. I better drop the sample to Kaison’s lab.” He ruffled Piers’ hair.

“Don’t you worry Captain, I might be able to beat your ass out there today.” Piers’ confidence and sassiness was fast returning. Who knows, perhaps intimacy was part of the cure too?


	15. Noble Purpose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Piers struggles with the question of purpose.

Damn it.

Piers was caught in a place between frustration and anger.

He slipped back to the quiet gym when he had a moment. He had always trained hard, even if it was just something to do. Yet one thing he hated was the lack of progress.

Ever since Kaison mentioned something about being mindful in his recovery he had been trying it intently. Trying to remember what it was like having fingers, trying to command his limb to move, to grasp, to grip, to punch and develop his full movement.

It was tiring, and draining, and depressing. He could move the limb about the shoulder somewhat, the bony protrusion near the shoulder seemed to have shrunken if he wasn’t imagining it, and he could bend it at the ‘elbow’ somewhat but that was about it. How is he an ultimate weapon with a dodgy arm?

Still, it was better than nothing. He thought he could sense just the tiniest of tingles at his ‘fingertips’. He tried the punching bag. It was hard to get any sort of rhythm going. He could throw a series of disconnected punches from the left, but it left himself wide open for attacks. He couldn’t even get the momentum, power and balance right. One never realised how important a limb was until life was truly never the same again.

He tried swinging with his right. It was worse than a five year old trying to crack open a piñata. It was weak, it was awkward. It was humiliating.

I’m a goddamn monster.

It didn’t stop him. He didn’t get to being a top sniper from day one. It took a tremendous amount of self-punishment, of self-belief. That was the one thing lacking right now.

How the hell am I going to get my life back? What is my purpose behind all this?

He trained until his upper body was sore, till his abs and obliques were positively hurting from the abuse of exercise. His legs were already sore from his training yesterday. He had been working on his kicks. Hard. His legs were all he had to defend himself with for now.

He thought about his mental capabilities while he rested. He was still getting used to the deeper connections he felt in his mind. It felt like he was tapped into a network of consciousness, but he had no idea who or what it was, and who the other entities were. They were like faint glowing spots, specs of white each representing wisps of memories, identities too shrouded to make out clearly. Thankfully, he could ignore it and shut it out if he wanted. He didn’t know if it was dangerous, if it was something deeper to do with the virus and virus controlled agents.

The channelling of bioelectricity was equally uneasy. He still didn’t quite know what to make of it. It was his unique power, in a sense. It could hit faster and harder than any gun. Yet he didn’t want it. He only wanted to be able to shoot, to be effective with his rifle. But then, what if the next BOW was as impervious to conventional weaponry as an Ogroman? Haos? Simmons? Carla? Guns and rifles were nigh ineffective against them. Even when he was in his top form he wasn’t able to do enough as a sniper against them. What is he going to make of himself? Of his humanity? Of his powers? What is more important? The capability and effectiveness of fighting bioterrorism, or holding onto his humanity while it was still his?

It was all too much to deal with. All his life, all his training in the Special Forces was about developing his unique style, to be the most effective, most efficient soldier and killer, but yet… this wasn’t a power that he needed, deserved, wanted. He just wanted to go back to being a soldier in the BSAA, under the Captain’s command. Still, if the events in the past 12 months had taught him anything, it couldn’t always be down to Chris Redfield to save his world. His captain wasn’t always the perfect man for the job, and sometimes he really didn’t have a miracle save Piers thought he had. He couldn’t always overcome impossible odds. Without the enhanced C-virus there was no way Chris and himself could have taken out something like Haos, or mutant Carla, or mutant Simmons. Being in BSAA under Chris’ shadow had always meant someone else could prop the sky up when it was falling, but suddenly Piers felt the mantle had been shifted on his shoulders. Ever since Edonia he had started to bear the weight that he had spent so hard trying to leave to Chris. Chris had already flagged his intentions while they were descending to the underwater facility. He wasn’t ready for that. For something as monumental as being the last line of defence between saving the world and condemning it if he failed. His technically had lost the last battle against Haos. The odds wouldn’t always be in his favour. Guns and explosives could only do so much against 70 foot monsters. How was he going to fight the next battles where there is nobody else to catch the slack?

All his life, Piers’ excellence had been a double edged sword. The same crux of excellence brought him pride and recognition, but also shut him in isolation and loneliness. The further distinguished he was from his peers the less they could relate to him. If he now started using these unusual powers it would further widen the gulf he stood across from his fellow soldiers. As much as he was in pursuit of excellence, he also wanted to fit in. The intensity and brush with deaths in the military naturally forges closer bonds between men than most other lines of work, and he had watched with regret to see men of his units find brothers and comrades who are willing to do anything for one another. Their tightly knit bonds only serve to highlight just how few he had. He has Chris. That was it.

He sighed. The question of ‘what if’ and ‘if only’ had haunted him for far too long ever since Marhawa, since Edonia. He’s good, but he’s not that good. Deep down he still felt he wasn’t ready. His search for purpose was torn in four directions. The burden of responsibility and prowess against front line bioterrorism. The pride and identity in holding onto his humanity. The pursuit of excellence and individual combative strength. The desire to still live a normal life and fit in with his peers as a person.

He finally knew why Chris had always been so lonely deep in his core. Now that he had gazed bioterrorism and its burdens deep in its pupils, there was no going back. He is to be forever haunted by its reaches in life and death, in duty or retirement. It wasn’t that he had never thought about having superpowers in his youth, to be a super soldier who is able to protect the world. It was not through coincidence he had trained himself so hard to be so good at what he did. Still, now that he had paid the almost unbearable cost for the exchange of power, and wields pain and potential in equal measure, he quietly wished that it could have all been someone else’s story.

He was still far from being combat ready anyhow. He didn’t know if he’d ever be fit enough to make it back. He’d at least need to have significantly better aim and mobility. He had been working hard at both, but it was undeniably hard each day. It was taking so much more effort to accomplish half as much. He couldn’t bear the thought of not ever being fit enough for duty, even if Chris promised him there was always going to be something to do in the BSAA. He would have to make it through somehow.

He left the gym, and had almost made it back to his room when he caught the eye of Sherry Birkin. His instinct was to hide, but it was too late. His misshapen form stood out before her perfect features like black to white.

“Piers! Hi!” Sherry was still every bit as cheerful and sweet. With her light blonde hair, white shirt and cheery voice, it was hard not for her to be mistaken as an angel at times.

“Sherry. Hello.” He squeezed out a smile and kept on walking, half hoping she’d leave him alone, half hoping someone would actually care about him enough to not be pushed aside.

“Piers…” Sherry called after him. “I… I was hoping to catch up with you, if that’s alright. I mean, I understand if you’re tired or don’t want to see me, or-“

“It’s ok Sherry, come to my room.” Piers found himself saying. It was too hard to say no to that sweet face.

He was able to relax a little more in his private quarters, and he let Sherry take a seat as he grabbed a towel and wiped his face and the sweat off his torso.

“Sorry if I stink a bit, I kinda worked hard today.” He couldn’t wring the towel one handed so he cleaned up as best he could in his tank top and PT shorts.

“It’s not a problem Piers, you smell fine.” Sherry gave a light shook of her head with a smile as Piers sat down.

Awkward silence. Neither looked at the other, unsure how to proceed.

“So what happened to Jake?” Piers had never seen Jake leave Sherry’s side so far.

“He… he’s having a chat with Chris.” Sherry said quietly.

“What!” Piers stood up and took a step to the door. He felt he should have been there, to guard Chris, but then his heart sank. How was he going to be able to protect Chris in his state? Chris hadn’t even sent for him. He obviously thought it was unnecessary to have Piers there. Useless. Dead weight. His mood soured at the thought of not being needed, and he sat back down with a scowl.

“I heard from Kaison that there may be something in Jake and my blood that could help. Whatever it is, I really hope it can help you get better.” She tried to make a start, even if she knew Piers probably didn’t want to be seen as weak, as needing help.

“Thanks.” He wriggled his right arm, daring Sherry to look.

“Piers. I… I just want to say that you’re really brave. I mean, we’ve barely talked, we don’t know each other well, but… I still felt I ran away from our fight. I mean, the first instinct of anyone is to get as far away from the virus as they could. None of us wanted it if we had a choice, but you chose to inject yourself to save everybody. That’s the bravest thing I’d even seen… In Edonia, we stayed behind and fought the Ogroman together. You and Chris were so brave, jumping onto the back of those monsters and pulling out their spikes. I mean, who would have the strength and resolve to do that? You guys grant us safe passage, and even gave us a ride out, even if we didn’t make it and crashed all your choppers….

Afterwards when we met again at Poisaiwan, you and Chris again help us get away from the helicopter. You were the ones who came all the way to the seabed facility, unlocked us and covered us while Haos reawakened. Piers. I’m so, so, like really sorry. I had been angry at myself. It was Raccoon City all over again. Everyone was sacrificing for me, for us. My parents, Leon, Claire, all the brave soldiers in the BSAA left and right escorting us, you and Chris. I… I didn’t feel we deserved that. Jakes’ blood, my blood was supposed to help save the world, but instead we were again experimented on and made you… into… that…”

She caught herself and again apologised. “No I don’t mean to say you’re not… human. I’m just making it worse. I mean, it pains me watching you be hurt so much. You didn’t deserve to pay the price Piers. You’re a good man, a good soldier and you deserve everything good… it should have been me.” She was visibly shaken, and at times distraught at the tragedy that surrounded her life. She had lived and seen a lot, and suffered times over for it, and yet, her empathetic heart still ached at everyone else’s suffering.

“It was my own decision.” Piers had a thousand yard stare out of the window. He could hear what Sherry was really trying to say, but it held little solace. Things are the way they are. Apology or not, it wasn’t going to change the outcome. Besides, it was never her fault. She was just caught up in it from the very beginning. Devious minds always held the means.

“I’m sorry Piers. I’ve made a mess of things trying to chat haven’t I.” She was on the verge of tears, feeling she was still unforgiven, feeling she owed Piers so much but at the same time would never be able to make up for it. She wanted to share her heart, but every word instead was taking them further apart. Why was it getting so difficult and emotional between the both of them?

“I… I really admire you… and what I really wanted to say was just to give you any bit of support I could…”

Piers shook his head. He really wasn’t in the mood for counselling someone else, but to be helpful, to be courteous is part of the Nivans DNA and he couldn’t change that.

“Sherry, you are not responsible for what Carla did and you should forgive yourself. We are soldiers, we signed up for this to protect the civilians. We would have given our lives to save just another person in your place.” He was emotionally detached, even if he spoke the truth behind duty.

Was it really the right thing to do? For trained, elite armed personnel saving helpless, defenceless and at times underserving, ungrateful civilians? He had run into that dilemma since his Special Force days, wondering if it was worth sending America’s elite to train local militia, to be deployed in unstable regions around the world for doing what they considered the greater good. He was a soldier following orders. He tried not to question things, but the Nivans family have a long held tradition of honour, morality and justice. All his life Piers had been quite black and white in his judgement. He was trained to value efficiency, excellence, goodness. Sometimes he didn’t know if the life of an operative was worth trading for the life of a civilian. If the value of a team was worth more than targets of the mission. All he could do was to survive and hope to go another day and keep doing the bit of good he felt he could.

None of that changed in the BSAA. Fighting bioterrorism came at heavy personal cost. The Marhawa Desire would not have been the catastrophe it was had Gracia cooperated with the BSAA at the very beginning. Their involvement had changed very little of the outcome. They managed to save Ricky but lost Merah. Everyone else was still gone. Ricky wouldn’t even have been caught up in the incident anyway had Gracia contacted BSAA right away. In his eyes, Merah was worth far more than the academy that they still failed to save. Alpha Team’s survival was worth more than Carla Radames’ death. The only bargain he had was his life versus Chris’, Haos and the whole world. In a way, his decision was the easiest decision because the benefits were clear, dire and more importantly, there was nobody else who could help.

“Piers, thank you.” Sherry gave a sincere smile. She caught the turmoil and disgruntled spark in Piers’ eyes, and knew deep down he must have still been upset at himself. “The C-virus came from the G-virus in my blood. If I wasn’t alive, there would have been no C-virus at all.” It was a burden weighing heavily on her heart.

“From my childhood to adulthood years I was monitored, kept locked up by the government all my life, for my protection. Years of taking blood, being experimenting on. Watched. Then? I was sent out on my first mission and bang. Got captured, fell into the wrong hands, more blood drawn, more experiments and then helped them make a super virus. It’s not an easy burden to bear Piers. I just want you to know that you aren’t the only one suffering for having a virus in you.” She stole a glance at Piers, who was still seated, a hardened look on his face, a knot on his brow and eyes still narrowed slightly.

“Jake calls me super girl, because I can regenerate and heal serious wounds. I never asked for it too, but at the same time, it was a gift, from my father. He experimented on the G-virus, and eventually he had fully mutated. I got the vaccine just in time, but it had enough of an effect on my blood that I was no longer completely ‘normal’.”

Piers nodded for her to continue.

“It bothered me for the longest time. I was already isolated from everyone else except for Claire. It wasn’t like I lost friends, it just meant I never had the chance to meet them. I had this extraordinary ability, but all I wanted was to have mingled and grew up with friends like any other little girl.”

“Isolation can be the hardest obstacle.” Piers said, his voice still hollow. “You know what’s worse? Sometimes you can spend days and months in a whole unit’s company, and at the end of it all? You’re still just as lonely as when you have started, while everyone else had emerged with brothers and comrades for life.” It wasn’t like Piers went out of his way to avoid people. Everyone else just seemed to avoid him. That was probably the worst part of it all. He was shunned just because of who they thought he was, and there wasn’t even a chance to prove them otherwise. “Assumptions. They are a killer.”

“I’m sorry Piers. I don’t assume to know what you’re going through…” She must have made a big mistake.

Piers shook his head firmly and finally caught her gaze. “No Sherry, I didn’t mean it that way. What I was trying to say, is that we can’t spend our lives apologising for other people’s behaviour based on their ignorance, their preconceptions and prejudices of who, or what we are.”

Ironically, it was in the process of articulating his thoughts to Sherry that it had suddenly become clear to him how he should proceed. There was no point trying to fit in, to change who he was in an attempt to please people who ultimately might not matter in the end, to apologise for something that he had no control over anymore. So what if he is unique, he is damned good at what he did. So what if he had extra powers. He had enough of a battle against bioterrorism to care about the thoughts and feelings of people who at the end of the day wouldn’t truly matter.

He continued with resolve. “Sherry. Most people wouldn’t understand what we’ve been through, and their actions and their choices ultimately speak more about them than about us. You have managed to grow up through isolation and still be a compassionate, kind hearted agent. You had chosen to come and talk to me and share about yourself when you could have looked the other way. That tells me that you care, that your heart is still in a good place. It does mean a lot to me.” He finally managed to smile.

“Thanks, Piers. It’s what I’ve been trying to come to grips with, but you finally articulated what I had been searching for all along.” It was ironic. She came trying to help Piers, and Piers ended up helping her. Then again, they are partners in a new journey. There is no reason for them to be alone.

“Piers, there’s no reason you should be isolated. You have Chris, and Claire. I… I’d like to be your friend too. I have a lot to learn from you.” She gave a smile, watching the gentleness and humanity finally creeping back in Piers’ face and eyes.

“Sherry, I had never intended to shut you out. I was… just a hardened soldier on the field. Jake was a threat, and I was trying to protect Chris, that was all.” He smiled back. Sherry was really sweet, and he could definitely use a friend. Chris could only do so much and they knew each other inside out. Sherry could be a breath of fresh air to talk things through.

“Jake is a loner too. He didn’t mean harm to you guys, he really didn’t! He just never was able to trust a commander, authorities, any sort of father figure after all his betrayals and despair from those he served or lived under. He’s getting better, he’s learning to be less prickly Piers. I know you didn’t get to the best of starts, but I know he has warmed up to you. Deep down he appreciates what you and Chris did for both of us.” She apologised for Jake’s behalf. She felt she had to. Jake was as stubborn and provoking as Piers and Chris was. Just something about being a man.

Piers shrugged. “He is trying to save my life. It’s not unappreciated. So long as he doesn’t try to hurt Chris, I can live with it.” He still couldn’t forgive Jake for pointing a gun at Chris and wounding him, but Chris had clearly found his peace, and he should not be the one to fight it.

“Jake in a way had to deal with the similar issues that you and I faced. He was abandoned all his life, and suddenly his identity found him, and he was treated special all because of his blood, his powers. Piers, the three of us are really not that different. We are allies. We are making a difference to this world because of who we are, and we won’t give up doing what is right for the sake of popularity or an easier life.” She came across and took Piers’ hand in solidarity.

“Thank you Sherry, you have no idea how much that means to me.” Piers stood tall and returned the hug from Sherry, and let her study his mutated arm.

“Piers, I’m not afraid of you. You have nothing to be ashamed of. I mean, my father had reached a state of full mutation in front of me, but in my eyes he was still my father. You are who you are in your heart, and you are still beautiful.” She gave the strange appendage a squeeze, brushing her fingers over the bony finger like protrusions. As she did, Piers actually felt something the touch of sensitivity on his ‘fingertips.’

“I appreciate it, Sherry.” He finally summoned a full smile. “Let’s see what the Jake and Chris are up to.”

“Sure, let’s go.”

The July sun shone brightly on angelic hair and latte spikes. Emerging from the shadows of his cell, two long suffering identities find their way through the comfort of a companion who truly knows what it’s like to live and be set apart by a noble purpose.


	16. Redfield. Dadfield.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris and Jake works out their perspectives.

“Ha.” Chris yelled as he pulled a straight towards Jake. The younger man deflected it with a palm strike, side stepped quickly and sent a kick to Chris’ side. Chris also sidestepped the kick and threw another punch to catch Jake off balance. Jake leveraged momentum on his kick to lower his centre of mass and dodged the kick, and when the window presented itself he struck an elbow towards o the back of Chris’ head. Chris turned slightly, lowered his stance and launched himself forward towards Jake’s torso, trying to catch the opening while his hand was out, and Jake only swerved just in time to block his hold and try to contest his strength.  Their arms were locked as they pushed against one another, but Chris had a more solid stance and Jake was fast losing ground. He tried to use his agility and flip over Chris, but Chris was able to disrupt his momentum enough that he landed on his back. Chris stood back and let him get up, and Jake closed in to swing an uppercut.

Chris blocked the move and returned one of his own, the force in his strikes almost staggering Jake. Jake blocked the blow with his fist, and both men shook their fists out in pain.  Undaunted, Jake tried a spinning kick but Chris took it like a boulder and readied another power punch. Their exchanges gradually because faster, each grunting to put power behind each punch, taking a blow or two for the sake of landing a more devastating blow on their opponents also. As good as Jake was at hand to hand combat, Chris’ experience and strength won out, and after one too many punches Jake kneeled over and tapped out reluctantly. He had taken enough abuse for the day, and both men were shaking out their knuckles and rubbing over their bruises as they recovered.

“Looks like the BSAA is a force to be reckoned with after all.” He sat, dusting himself. He was almost at his limit, but he felt Chris still had good control over most of the fight.

“I’ve got twenty years on you, and I’ve spent probably the last ten years training specifically to countering your style.” Chris reached a hand to help him up.  They had agreed to do a warm up fight to ‘get acquainted’ and let their fists do their talking at the grounds. There weren’t going to go all out, but Jake was getting bored and so was Chris and he could teach the youngster a thing or two.

“Well don’t you sound like a dad. That what you do to your boy scouts? Play team dad?” Jake still tried to keep it cool, even if he was relieved Chris didn’t treat him like an enemy. He actually quite enjoyed the fight. He hardly had a chance to spar even in the mercenaries. Everyone rather kept their moves and secrets to themselves, and he would never find the strength in his heart to spar with Sherry for fear of hurting her, or perhaps be beaten by her.

“I’ve spent enough time getting rookies’ asses in gear and beat them to shape, so yeah, I am, if you call that being team dad.” Chris shrugged. Military is military. Young males are predictable in their behaviour and their ways of acting out. He is first and foremost a leader, and generally it is a position of responsibility and fathering. He was fiercely protective of his team, and had been called ‘Captain Dadfield’ by a fair few in military commands.

“Sorry, I don’t do well with authority. Soldier of fortune all my life.” Jake crossed his arms and strolled to a window.

“I can understand that you’ve had some horrible role models Jake. You will have to learn that not everyone is out to manipulate and use you though, that there is a lot to learn from others’ experience. And mistakes.”

“Oh yeah? When the whole UN and every terrorist organisation is literally out for my blood, it’s pretty damned hard knowing who actually is watching out for me and who’s just plotting what they could do with me.” He snarled back. He still has his guard up. He has had severe trust issues letting anyone close after spending six months being prodded and experimented on as a subject. All he felt was that people were only interested in his body, his blood, his genes. There was always a price on his head. Nobody cared about him as a person. He’d gone along with it enough as a mercenary, taking whatever job for the sake of money because at least he knew what he was worth. It was a good enough coping mechanism until he found out just how desperate Simmons and Radames got in getting his blood. It wasn’t about money at that point. It was about survival.

“Look kiddo, you’ve been through some shit and the damage is done, but you’re still young, you still have to choose the path you want to take.” Chris took a drink of water and tossed a bottle to Jake.

“I know I want to fight those BOWs every chance I get. They’ve done enough harm with the virus as is. At the very least, I want to make a name for myself. One that isn’t Wesker.” He was still unsure of his purpose, but Sherry’s job is with the DSO and she was always going to be combating bioterrorism, he might as well get used to it. Besides, he’s a fighter, and going toe to toe with BOWs is an exciting challenge. He likes challenges.

“Jake, even though it is top secret you have already made a name for yourself by agreeing to help develop Anti-C. Bioterrorism is an all-consuming quest. As much as I’m glad for you to be standing on our side, it’s a long and lonely road. There will be great personal costs.” Chris felt a pang of responsibility over Jake. Jake never had a father, and he’d be damned if Jake ever turned out the way Albert did.

Jake shrugged as he sat across from Redfield. “I’ve been a soldier of fortune. I’ve seen some shit. Here and now, there isn’t a choice. Bioterrorism is in our face. It’s do or die, fight or flight. Besides, Sherry is always going to be involved, and both the DSO and BSAA will always be watching over me, so I might as well make myself useful right and not be a threat? I’d take my chances on the field than being locked up in a padded cell thank you very much.”

“Sure, we’d take anyone willing to sign up, just don’t spill your blood out there needlessly.”

“Yeah, yeah, my blood is precious yada yada. It’s always my blood. All my life I grew up without a father, wondering who the hell he was, and why he left without a goodbye, and the one day I find out, his legacy consumes the rest of my life.” Jake’s brows creased at the notoriety that Albert Wesker had made for himself.

“Your father have the makings of a great man, he only chose to apply himself down the wrong avenue. He was intelligent, cunning, crafty, but hungry for power, and betrayed everyone who crossed his path as his goals became more and more unrealistic. You too Jake, have the makings and life experiences to be a great man. I can only hope that you can learn with your heart what is truly right and wrong, what is worth living and dying for.” It was never easy talking about his former captain, but Chris does see a lot of Albert in Jake, and that was motivation enough to make him care.

Jake was silent for a moment and studied Chris intently. “Have you always been so sure… that what you did was the right thing?”

Chris could see Jakes’ intentions behind the question. “Where do I start? The general answer is yes. The principle of what I’m doing is right. Joining S.T.A.R.S. in Raccoon City, hunting down Umbrella Corp, setting up the BSAA. Fighting bioterrorism. I was there when it began and I lost people from day one. I never took a break until I got knocked out after Edonia and lost it for six months. Even coming back to China, without Piers I would have let vengeance got the better of me. I care about my men, and I care about fighting bioterrorism. Sometimes you find yourself toeing the line as the last line of defence between a near miss and a full blown catastrophe, and while there’s only so much I can do, at that moment all I can do is to give it my best shot. I don’t always succeed, if Tatchi is any indication… but it’s better to have tried and failed, than to not have tried at all…”

“It’s why you and Piers chose to stay in the facility isn’t it. To take on Haos even though the odds were against you?” He tried to play it cool, but he had been questioning himself for months for walking away. He hated the fact that Chris and Piers had the balls to stand up to something he backed away from. He tried to tell himself that he had to make it out alive, the world needed his blood, he promised Leon to protect Sherry, but deep down he felt he ran away from his battle, one which obviously came at heavy cost and almost claimed Piers. He wondered if there was something he could have done if he had stayed, or if he wouldn’t have lasted any longer at all and be torn to shreds in minutes. It was from hearing Chris’ story of just how close the four of them came to being corpses in the ocean that he finally found respect for the man who had killed his father. In a way, he was glad it was Chris. He is a man worthy of respect.

Chris caught his expression and knew what Jake was thinking through. “Look Jake. At that moment it was just Piers and I.  Our mission was to get you out alive, and until you were safe there was no alternative. It wasn’t about what is right. We were soldiers in the BSAA, it’s our job to combat bioterrorism. You were a protected target, and until you wear the badge, it’s not your responsibility. You did the right thing in getting Sherry out, in helping the UN get an antidote.

“And fighting my father? Was he another BOW that you just had to put down?” He knew the answer, but couldn’t help but push at the subject.

“Wesker- if you heard his plans yourself, you would put him out too. His desire, much like Haos was for global domination. He was going to unleash the Uroborus virus to the world, forcing everyone to struggle and fight for survival and rule over the remains. He wanted to be a God. Personal vengeance pales in comparison to the devastation he could have caused. I have no regrets doing what I did. Did you think it was easy? I served under Wesker. He was my Captain in S.T.A.R.S. Had he not betrayed both our teams things could have been different. I lost my trusted colleagues because of him time after time. Still Wesker made his choices long before he was part of .S.T.A.R.S., and I was never one who could influence his decisions. He was arrogant to the extreme, and considered himself above everyone else. You Jake, on the other hand, have the full power to make your own decision about what you are to become. Your life wasn’t an experiment, you weren’t raised to be a tool or a subject.”

“So what does that make me? A damned accident because my shithead of a Father knocked up my mom in some chance encounter that wasn’t even worth looking back on?  You’d all just put me down the moment I sign up with Neo Umbrella anyway right? Not that they need me anymore after 6 months of research. They already have everything they wanted.” He knocked his fist on the table in frustration. He didn’t like being used, but even worse was that he was feeling useless. The DSO was watching him like a criminal; the BSAA locked him up like a psychopath. He was a risk not just because of what he would do, but what others could do through him.

“Jake, you’re not useless and you’re not a goddamn accident.  Your life’s purpose is what you make of it. Some men like Albert Wesker was a gifted man and all his life he set out to be above everyone else, to be a God over his fellow men.  Some men like Piers Nivans are equally gifted, and instead of being a God he chose to pour out his life in servitude to the masses. He lived only with the purpose to save everybody.  Jake, there are plenty of fights to be had. You know what the bioterrorists are capable of. You need to arm yourself and defend yourself and Sherry for whatever else they’re coming up with.” Chris found it surprisingly easy to stay calm and deal with Jake. Perhaps it was because he knew Wesker better than almost everyone else. Perhaps it’s because he was more detached, he didn’t have the responsibilities of rank that he could see into Jake’s issues. It wasn’t as easy for him to think clearly when it involved someone like Piers.

“Fine. I’m not going to declare myself a God and start a religion. Happy? You said my father’s a hell of a fighter. How do I compare?”

“You have his strength, but not his calculation, tactics and speed. Wesker’s strength and speed was enhanced by a virus he took in a project, so I wouldn’t beat myself up over trying to get what he had, but he is fast, and he is calculative. In every fight he has a short term plan and a long term goal. He has more than a trick or two up his sleeves and that was why it was difficult to deal with him. Generally if he lets you fight him he already knew that he would win. He is full of surprises, and the moment you think you’ve won is the moment he trumps you over. I wouldn’t say you have to be like him, but there’s a lot to be respected for his style.”

Jake quietly nodded and tried to think about how that could be incorporated in his moves. “If you don’t mind, Chris, I’d like to spar with you a bit in the coming days... you know, to train myself.” He hesitated, not wanting to show too much emotion. “Just so one day I can kick your ass for good, you know?” He gave a slight smirk.

“Sure. I’m grounded here for now anyway, and besides, Piers had long wanted to kick my ass in a duel someday. He hasn’t got there yet, but that’s not to say he hasn’t stopped trying. If you two get along, you might become friends. Brothers even.” He clasped Jake’s hand and they exchanged a fist bump.

“Anyway, I’m sure you’ve got more to do than hang around an old fart like me. Let’s go find Sherry and get some food in you.”

They opened the door to find Piers and Sherry walking up to them.

“Captain!” Piers locked eyes with Chris, and the first sign was caution and concern, checking for any bruises or injuries, and only relaxed when Chris gave an ok.

“Piers, Sherry. We were just going to grab some food, thought you might want to join us.”

“Sure thing Chris.” Sherry smiled and encouraged Piers to join them, and he reluctantly fell in step. He didn’t want to head out yet though, so Sherry kept him company until Jake and Chris came back with food.

“So what are your plans while in China?” Chris asked the pair. They’ve got most of their blood and biometric data already.

“Leon is helping around in Waiyip and I might help with some of the DSO operations. Helena and the other guys are cleaning up in Tall Oaks and they don’t really need us, so we’ll probably be around to give you a hand. Claire mentioned a couple of projects that have going on and I might join her too with Jake in Tatchi.”

“Sure, I think she can use all the help she gets. Tatchi is a big city and it’s going to take a lot of cleaning up.” Chris nodded in encouragement. He still worried a lot about Claire despite knowing she could handle herself, and any additional support will help him feel more at ease.

“There’s still no end to Neo-Umbrella. I wouldn’t consider my job complete until they’re all out of commission.” Jake said.

Piers gave Jake a quiet look, but didn’t say anything. He was thinking how Wesker betrayed Umbrella for his own gains, and now his own son will be putting Neo Umbrella out of business. Poetic justice, perhaps.

“Be careful out there Jake. We still don’t quite know what they’re up to and now many more bioweapons they’re holding. The BSAA is still locking down on intel but hopefully we’ll get more news with the other agents soon.” Chris said, casting a gaze to Piers to check he’s ok and caught a small smile. Jake and Sherry won’t have freedom of operation, and they’ll always be backing up with BSAA or TerraSave teams just because of their risks, but their expertise would still be of help to any ground team.

He knew of course, that in time Piers would want to join them, but for now both of them deserve a bit of rest and recovery before training for their next assignment, which would undoubtedly be a challenge as always.

“I hear from Jill that they’ve contained at least two thirds of Waiyip anyway, and they’re making progress slowly clearing the rest of any infected, J’avo or resistances. It’s not everything, but at least it’s becoming an inhabitable place again.”

“As inhabitable as it can be anyhow with a locked down harbour, a rail network in shambles and a plane and several choppers that crashed in the heart of town.” Piers wasn’t as optimistic, he’d been following the progress updates closely himself. If anything though, the Chinese are a resilient people and once they put their mind to it things get done fast.

“We’ll be careful, don’t worry.” Sherry smiled. “We did spend six months in Waiyip after all.”

“At the risk of sounding like an old man, take care out there, and keep in touch. I’ll get Claire to pick you guys up at Waiyip.”

“We’ll be fine. Dadfield.” Jake smirked, and exchanged a knowing look with Chris while Piers and Sherry both raised their brows sky high.


	17. Collective Consciousness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neo Umbrella is back in motion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some colourful language, nothing too extreme.

Deep beneath the sea in Chinese waters, a monstrosity has been brewing for weeks.

It started in a severely weakened state. A collective consciousness only reduced to isolated colonies of cells, scattered, out of touch with one another, festering on a sunken vessel in the deep sea off the coast of China.

The organic mass slowly multiplied, assimilating the iron into matter and energy, feasting on any corpses and organic matter in its wake, growing, thriving slowly.

It had been so damaged, almost irreparably. Snap frozen by vats of liquid nitrogen, then exposed to the resultant fire and explosion that sunk the carrier.

Still, only a few cells were needed, and if liquid nitrogen was ever good at anything, it was cellular preservation.

The metal was eaten away, bodies of C-virus mutants were consumed as nutritious treats. The pockets and colonies grew in strength and numbers. Eventually colonies met, and they fought to assimilate one another, eventually merging in a new consciousness. Day after day. Survival was a priority. The vessel disintegrated rapidly by the consumption of the parasitic colonies, and the pile of organic matter slowly reassembled. It took weeks, until one day a critical mass was gathered, and a higher function began to present itself.

“Who am I?”

The mass had little cognitive intuition. It was fighting daily for survival, yet as soon as the question was asked, priorities were shifted. Identity. Sentience.

“Who am I? What am I? Why am I here? What happened?”

The colony asked day after day, coalescing into a humanoid figure composed of oozes of tissue. It tapped into its primitive network. Developing its conscience.

“I am… I am…” it was asking the questions, but lacked answers, lacked ways to find out.

The collective consciousness grew, and it began sensing other identities in its consciousness. It latched out to the dots of identities, scanning their consciousness and memories for information. They offered no resistance, but servitude.

Obey Neo Umbrella. Obey orders.

Ada Wong.

Obey the orders of Ada Wong.

The being sensed mastery over the subjects. Ada Wong. They would obey Ada Wong.

They obey me.

I am… Ada Wong.

An identity. It was the first key step, but the important springboard towards searching for lost memories.

The consciousness began to direct its regeneration. I was a woman by the name of Ada Wong. Ada. Simmons. He belonged to me.

Neo Umbrella is mine.

The consciousness grew in strength, and she began to ascent from the depths.

Tatchi. I need to find strength, find answers in Tatchi.

Depressurisation was no easy challenge to overcome, but overcame she did as a mass of organic slime. She made it to the surface, and a little mental summoning got her a couple of local J’avo from Tatchi to get her out undercover. Perhaps all the forces were looking so hard for something the size of a carrier they missed her form.

She looked over herself. Humanoid in shape, but that’s where the similarities end. Her skin was still a dead slimy grey. Her face had kept the features of her identity but holds no beauty behind the slimy flesh. Still, looks didn’t matter to her anymore. Only power. She got her J’avo assistants to bring her a hooded cloak, a grappling gun, the hidden caches of C-virus samples. From a hidden location in Waiyip, her plans will continue. Plan D should have been activated. Plan A and B has been executed. She will just have to find subject C.

I am Ada Wong. I am the head of Neo Umbrella.

I am the Queen of the New World.

Where are my subjects? She reached into her hive mind collectiveness, sensing the other identities infected with the C-virus.

“Ustanak? My child?”

Nothing.

“Haos? My little pet?”

Nothing. Did Plan D go bust?

“Simmons. Simmons is mine. Come to me, Simmons.”

She tried to sense Simmons with her collective awareness, yet she couldn’t. But Simmons couldn’t be dead. None with the enhanced C-virus could die that easily. Perhaps he was at rest, or out of reach, or he was fighting her call, not that she thought it would be possible…

Simmons and her own transformation were both supposed to be part of Plan A. She made it. She didn’t know where Simmons was at.

That left her one last hope.

“Subject C. Where are you?”

She focused on her mental connection, scanning, trying to find her precious subject.

“Subject C. It’s Ada Wong.”

Nothing.

“…Ada?”

She finally located her agent in charge. She smiled. She may not have much, but with what she had, it was enough to rebuild.

“Gather the J’avo, reach out to the Neo Umbrella agents. Ada Wong is back. I will still be Queen of the New World.”

* * *

 

Stumped.

Between her contacts, intelligence in the Chinese military and her own spy work, Ada Wong was stumped.

There was still no trace of the carrier that Carla had overtaken. This wasn’t a body. It wasn’t a boat. It was a giant aircraft carrier that belonged to the People's Liberation Army. Whatever happened, she sure hoped her name wouldn’t be the one held responsible. There’s no way she’d be able to get out of an accusation like that by Chinese authorities, even if she may have been responsible for the sinking.

She had spliced her way onto Neo Umbrella traffic for days, watching, looking for activity. She knew there had to be more. Carla had built in enough fail saves. She devoted the whole Plan B into preserving Neo Umbrella. Unless The Family actually stayed enough steps ahead to eradicate them all, surely Neo Umbrella is still out there. Still, it was good to see one power keeping another at bay for now, even if it made her work more difficult.

She had been following the network for weeks. There had to be other Neo Umbrella facilities off site, if not in China, then nearby.

Her phone rang with an incoming contact.

“Hmm? Yes. I see. Run the satellites and recon drones. We need to pin down the location and extent of operations.”

Her agent had just reported in that they finally deduced the pattern of logistic movements between Neo Umbrella and Simmons’ Family resources in the Far East. She was finally able to confirm that Carla’s submarine, along with a substantial portion of her staff and military capability were given to her from Simmons, then either infected with the C-virus or persuaded through other means to found Neo Umbrella. It took weeks to track the movement of resources, capital and people, but there was finally a solid lead.

Neo Umbrella has a base in Bangladesh.

It made sense. Bangladesh is situated right between the world’s largest Population centres, China and India, yet sufficiently independent enough to not be directly affected on a full scale outbreak. Should the outbreak in China fail, causing one in India, fuelling the Pakistan conflict and growing it towards the Middle East would draw enough attention in an already politically charged location and divide the East and the West to cause even more chaos. It had access to the Ganges delta and the Indian Ocean, has easy access to arms and military capability and is bordered with an array of countries in a politically tense region. Perfect location for setting up operations for overturning the world.

She sent her tracker probes onto the region, turning up data trails, trying to find anything about Carla that could help. Just how much of Carla and the top tier staff would have relocated to Bangladesh?

They’ll need to locate the base and carry out an infiltration. The BSAA can’t know yet, it’d draw too much attention until they have enough of a lead.

Her phone pinged again with new data. There was heavy movement of Neo Umbrella and J'avo personnel. Curious, she studied the files. Her brows furrowed at the revelation.

“Hannigan, it’s Ada Wong. You better warn BSAA and TerraSave. Neo Umbrella is on the move. They’re gathering personnel back at Quad Tower! Be prepared for a ground assault at Tatchi.”

* * *

 

“Where the fuck am I?” She looked up, clutching her head, trying to blur the images of her triple vision back into one.

“You can’t be fucking serious.” She felt her arms were tied together with rope and her legs to a chair. She could see she was in the ruins of a building. Tall, grand. Luxurious. At least it used to be, if the sight of the ruins outside the windows was any indication.

She was still in Tatchi. Was anyone else with her?

“Hello?”

Silence.

“Claire?”

“Fucking great. Barely two years since I got out and back where I fucking started.”

She didn’t know whether she should be glad that Claire wasn’t with her. On the one hand she had always depended on her, on the other at least Claire is somewhere safe and hopefully launching a bigass rescue operation because they sure aren’t in the middle of a goddamn forsaken island this time.

“Listen you fuckhead, I don’t know who the fuck you are but you better let me out before the BSAA bombs this place like the worthless shit out of your sorry asscheeks.”

She cursed for who knows how long. Nobody touches a fucking Burton. She’s not as fearful as she was last time. She survived the fuck out of Alex Wesker, she’ll get the hell out of here.

The door opened.

“Finally decided to show your face huh? Who are you?” She spat at the tall, lean figure of a man in the doorway. Short blond hair, medium musculature. Mask of Neo-Umbrella’s logo over his face.

“They call me… Wesker.”

Of all the names that she expected, this one shut her up. What the fuck? Claire said Alex was the last Wesker. Chris killed off Albert, all the other Weskers have died. So who the fuck was he?

“Wesker’s fucking dead years ago you giant dildohead.” She provoked him, hoping he’d reveal more of himself in his anger.

“Got some mouth on you, girl.” The voice was young and had just the slightest hint of uncertainty. Moira played it cool and stared right back.

“At least I’m not some lowlife who don’t even have the _balls_ to take us on face to face. She remembered their operation got gassed and they got knocked out. “That’s all you are. A pussy.”

“Tell me who you are and what you’re doing.”

Shit. He’s after intel.

“Why are you wearing that mask? Scared that your face is as vile as your motives?”

The figure shook his head slowly. “Talk.”

“You don’t need to know shit about me and I know nothing about you. Let me the fuck go!”

“Talk, or I’ll make you.”

“Fine, but this goes both ways, and you have to promise me a decent dinner before we get acquainted. My name is Moira, I’m a 22 year old college dropout. My dad is a hardass who was gonna bust my ass if he found out so I scraped together some funds and volunteered for the first trip overseas to escape from him. I have no idea what I’m doing! It’s my first deployment… I just thought I’d do a bit of good, help people instead of feeling like I’m a fucked up failure who was good at nothing you know? Nobody told me about a fucking zombie infestation, that it was fucking dangerous until I got here but what can I do? I’m stuck here. I don’t have money to get out! I had a bet with my supervisor that I’d survive a whole day and not scream so she left me alone and take charge of the team, then you showed up and look what happened. You made me fucking lose the bet, shitass.” She was making this up as she went along, hoping it was convincing enough. She knew it was always best to blend truth with lies, so she did what she could.

“This is your first mission?” He crossed his arms, leaned on the doorframe. Studying her with interest.

“You honestly think that anyone who doesn’t have slurry shit for brains would want to suck enough to come back to a hell hole like this a second time?” It was his word against his.

“Look just let me the fuck go. I’m just a girl trying to survive and get out of this shit. I’m not here to kill anyone! Fuck I hated guns all my life!”

The figure studied her up and down, trying to weight up what she said.

Moira sighed and unleashed her inner drama queen. Nothing like a good dose of experience. “You know, in a way it’s kinda good that you got me. At least my father won’t find out. The old fucker probably won’t give a shit anyway… nobody cares for just another fucked up loser who dropped out of college and has no job, no friends, no money and nobody who’d give a fuck.” She started sobbing thinking back on how lonely she was back in 2011 when she was stranded by herself. Where she really had nothing to hold onto, nothing keeping herself together than to make it back to her family. She was lucky that she had someone come after her. She will get help, she knows Chris, Jill, Claire and the BSAA will get her, but the more vulnerable she made herself, perhaps the less watched she will be.

“Hey you got a fucking tissue or something?” Her tears were making a mess of her face.

“Suck it up girl, you’re lucky you’re still alive.” His words were cold, but there was still a trace of humanity there.

“Why would you want me? There’s thousands of zombies out there who won’t talk back.”

“To negotiate.”

Shit. She was a hostage. What did they want?

“What do you what? Who’s going to fight you over a dead city?”

“You shall see.”

* * *

 

“They’ve got Moira Burton.” Claire was pacing the room, unable to stop, feeling that she’d failed her again, left her behind while she picked up Jake and Sherry. Leon was hunched over the desk, looking over the contingency plants of TerraSave. Sherry was with Claire offering whatever support she could, and Jake sat on the table, arms crossed, features twisted in contempt.

Things were going so well with the clean-up, yet suddenly things turned on them. The haphazard pockets of resistances became organised, J’avo poured out of the streets and broke containment lines straight towards Quad Tower. The BSAA would have bombed the building if it wasn’t for the fact that a TerraSave agent was missing. Moira Burton.

“Jill, what are we going to do?” She was all questions and no answers.

“Claire, it’s Chris, are you ok?” Her brother’s voice came on the line.

“Chris, they’ve got Moira… she must be locked up in Quad Tower. We’ve got to get her back…”

Jill’s voice rang through the line “Calm down Claire, was Moira the only one missing?”

“We’ve lost some of TerraSave staff when the J’avo broke the containment, but Moira is the only one unaccounted for. She was probably the most senior person they could get their hands on at the time…” She felt she should have been taken in her place. Their BSAA escort were disabled through gas bombs but only Moira was taken. There was no other reason for them to be interested in Moira. She was just a young girl of 22.

“Listen, we’ll try to get intel at the site, but you guys have been monitoring the Quad Tower building since the start of the operation. The four of you should be able to cover each other well enough to get close and scout out the situation, but make sure you have backup and air teams, we can’t lose anyone for the sake of getting Moira back.” Jill gave the orders.

“Jill I’ll look after Claire and Jake and Sherry. It’ll be fine.” Leon answered. He could think of a couple of locations where Moira could be, and the four of them are experienced agents. He hopes it’d be enough. “Get the ground backup team ready, we’ll need extraction and support. We’re going in.”

“Leon, Claire, Jake, Sherry. Promise me you’ll all make it back. No heroics, no sacrifices, if you can’t find her we’ll send another team.” Chris barked his wishes, mad that Neo Umbrella is on the move, mad that they lost Moira, mad that there was nothing he could do but wait for news and hope his sister and everyone else would be ok.

“Chris, we’ll be ok. Trust us in this.” Claire promised. “We’ll be outfitted and head in at 2200. We’ll keep in touch.”


	18. So Close

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The search for Moira begins.

**Rescue Team**

“We’ll stick together as we infiltrate the site. Staying safe is our top priority ok? We can’t risk losing anyone else.” Leon checked the maps and projections of the Quad Tower site as a BSAA agent drove them towards the location. Hannigan and Jill were able to plot out a number of sites they could check for Moira’s location. They weren’t sure how many personnel Neo Umbrella still had, but their forces had been severely weakened in the weeks since the July first attack, and it did not seem like they were able to organise zombies or secondary infected personnel, so a four man team was deemed adequate.

“Jake, Sherry, how are you two feeling?” He turned and glanced at the couple who silently held hands at the back seats.

“Leon, Claire, it’ll be fine. Jake and I can hold my own.” Sherry smiled as she checked over her stun rod.

“Don’t worry Leon, I’ll look after her.” Jake gave a nod and kept his hand over Sherry.

Leon smiled, it was still hard for him and Claire to see Sherry as a young agent instead of the schoolgirl all those years ago. They’d all grown up so fast.

Claire however was still deeply concerned for Moira. Her brows were twisted in worry and she gripped her rifle tightly.

“It’s going to be ok Claire, we’ll get Moira out in no time.” Leon said, giving a nod to the oceanic blue eyes still swimming with regret.

They were dropped out a block from the Quad Tower and advanced through the cloak of the night. The ruins of parts of the tower meant there weren’t many good choke points for the personnel to guard, and they sneaked in one of the open entrances into Tower A, the administrative building.

“Rescue team, my scans show isolated personnel at the location, proceed with caution.” Hannigan’s voice spoke through the comms. “There are a number of offices on level five that are worth scanning out.”

“I copy. We’ve made it through the lobby.” Leon said as they continued to advance. There had been small pockets of J’avo, but between the melee prowess of Jake and Leon and the support of Claire and Sherry they managed to stay quiet as they cleared their way.

Leon listened at the office door for sounds and quietly opened the door. It was empty. Where were they keeping Moira?

“Hannigan, floor 5 is cleared. No sign of Moira.” Claire spoke through the comms.

“Check through these locations on level 13.”

“Claire, at this rate we might never get to Moira. Should two of us split to tower D?”

“Rescue team, Jill here. Don’t split off to smaller teams, it isn’t safe.”

“We’ll keep searching, but I don’t know how far we can go with one night.”

“Just keep at it. Hannigan is monitoring their movements as best they can.”

* * *

 

**Carla Radames**

The hooded form of Ada Wong looked out to the central spire of Neo Umbrella from one of the offices. The first thing she noticed coming back to Quad Tower was the blood. The pools of blood that filled the site of Neo Umbrella’s logo. Then she looked up, and saw the battered, weathered body of Derek C. Simmons. The man she once loved, and the man she had hated. It was still inexplicable why she had such a dichotomy of feelings towards one man. Part of her wanted to live under his shadow, part of her wanted to dominate him. Still, for all intents and purposes, the question no longer mattered. Simmons was dead.

The thought troubled her. Simmons was supposed to be nigh indestructible as she was. He was supposed to survive almost everything. Yet he had died. She had almost died. Her plans were supposed to be perfect, but everything had fallen short. She managed to infect one city, and she has one agent left, and herself.

It was enough.

She could start all over again.

If only she had her enhanced C-virus. She had only one vial left, but she’d lost it on the aircraft carrier. If she could get it to Subject C, his worth, his importance would skyrocket. Nothing could stop her at that point.

Now she had nothing. Her lab was in ruins. It had taken her months to synthesis and verify the enhanced C-virus. It would take her a while to get to that point again.

Fortunately, she no longer needed Jake’s blood.

* * *

 

**Ada Wong**

Somewhere in China, the real Ada Wong’s PDA has been going non-stop as she tracked and kept in conference with her contacts.  There were a lot of activity amongst Tatchi between the BSAA operations, Neo Umbrella and a third party. The Chinese had decided to hole up security heavily outside of town and not get involved with the infected agents, giving BSAA more freedom of operation, but it also meant other paramilitary units potentially could sneak in.  Right now she was seeing the movements of a squad of bombers headed towards Tatchi.

“Jill, this is Ada Wong. Is the BSAA sending any bombers towards Tatchi?”

“Ada? No we’re launching a stealth mission to recover agent Moira Burton who we believe is held at Quad Tower.”

“That means it must be the Family. They must have gotten wind that Neo Umbrella is on the rise and they’ll probably bomb the place to the ground. Tell your units to pull out ASAP!”

“You are absolutely sure?”

“They have 15 minutes, get them out of there. If Leon is there… you can tell him it’s from me.  He’ll understand.”

“… Alright, we’ll let them know. Thank you Ada.” She hung up the call.

“Chris?” Icy grey blue eyes gaze into warm walnut brown. Chris balled his hands into fists. On the one hand his own sister, Leon, Sherry and Jake are in danger. On the other hand, Moira, Barry’s girl needed their rescue. He couldn’t forgive himself either way, even if the call is not for him to make.

“Jill… we’ve got to pull them out… but Moira...”

Jill shook her head in sympathy. “It’s four agents against one. Besides, we don’t really know if Moira is kept at the Quad Tower anyway.”

“Rescue Team, this is HQ. Abandon the operation immediately. We have received intel from Ada Wong that the Family is sending a squad of bombers to Quad Tower. They will bomb the building within 15 minutes. Evac the area immediately to co-ordinates Five of Spades. Your transport is waiting at a safe location.”

“Leon here. We copy. We’re still on 15th floor. We’ll need 10 minutes just to get back-”

“Jill this is Claire. Is there really nothing we can do for Moira?”

“Neo Umbrella will probably be guarding with their finest agents. They may even already be at a safe location away from Quad Tower. I’m sorry Claire, but the four of you are far more important. I’ll be the one to make this call.” Jill said, hiding the pain within her spirit with stout professionalism. It pained her too to not be able to do more for Moira. She and Barry still work together in the BSAA, but it is the right decision on all grounds. She is first and foremost responsible for BSAA agents, and she just hope Moira has enough wit and luck to come out of this unscathed.

* * *

 

**Rescue team**

The four agents were running down flights of stairs, not caring so much if they’re making noise anymore. Five of Spades would take a whole 10 minutes getting there, and that’s if they don’t get delayed by more firefights.

They’d gone no more than five flights of stairs when they heard the unmistakable roar of jets towards their destination, and they were practically gliding down the rails trying to get out.

They barely cleared the building when they saw the first jet fly overhead, and they ran as fast as they could towards their evac coordinates.

By then the sound of the jets were screaming in their ears. The bombing had commenced. Missiles rained onto the rooftops. They could hear the building rattling and shaking, but they couldn’t even spare the attention to look up, or look back.  Leon was practically dragging Claire along, and Sherry was running fast as she could to keep up with Jake. Around them explosions rocketed the tower, and they felt radiant heatwaves scorch their skin and curl their hair.

“Hurry!”

The second bomber had dropped its payload. Right above Tower A.

“Run for it!” They made it through the shadow of Tower A found whatever shelter they could and threw themselves under something that looked solid enough, hoping the bombers wouldn’t miss their target by mistake.

The ground shook as the building started to collapse. The sound of shattered glass, bomb blasts and raining concrete drowning out everything else. Both Leon and Jake had tucked Claire and Sherry under their bodies by instinct, hoping that they were far enough from the site.

They held their heads under their arms and fingers over their ears as the building disintegrated and crumbled level by level. Debris was raining down, but fortunately most landed far enough from where they were.

“Run for it!” The dust from the initial impact had barely settled when Leon and Jake dragged the girls to their feet, and the finally made it to the anxious BSAA agent waiting in the APC.  They watched from the window of the vehicle as the once proud buildings became a pile of concrete, broken glass, smoky rubble.

“Moira!” Claire was in silent tears looking at the wreckage.  She really hoped Moira wasn’t at the site. It had only been two years since Moira got trapped in another collapsing building, while she escapes, and the haunting helplessness of that day struck her core again.  She was shaking and feeling faint, and didn’t respond to Leon shaking her or holding her cold palms in his. Sherry was squeezing her shoulder trying to comfort her, but instead steams of tears ran down her hand as they evacuated back towards TerraSave quarters.

“She’s in shock.” Jake said, recognising the symptoms. “Keep her warm. She’ll pull through, we’ll be there for her.”

“I’ll look after Claire, it’ll be ok.” Sherry gave a reassuring nod and put her arms around Claire, trying to keep her warm and also give her some physical and emotional comfort as she rested her eyes from the exhaustion and disbelief at losing Moira again.

“Jill, it’s Leon. We’ve cleared the building and on our way back to TerraSave. We’ve made it through, but Quad Tower is no more.”

* * *

 

**Moira**

“Holy fucking shit!” One look, along with the sound of collapsing rubble was all she needed to know the situation was dire. She’s only known too well what it’s like to be trapped in a falling building.

“Somebody help!” She screamed at the top of her lungs. If only she had her hands free and not be tied to a goddamn chair.

Her heart jumped when the door kicked opened, and the man who called himself Wesker appeared.

“Get us out of here. They’re going to bomb us alive!”

The ground rocked, and she toppled from the chair onto her side with a scream.

“Fuck! If you can’t get me out can you at least free me from the chair?”

The man picked the chair up and ripped the ropes apart with his bare hands. Two towers had gone down. They were only on the third floor of Tower C, but they probably won’t have time.

The man grabbed her. It was a tight hold, and without another word he threw his back against the windows and leapt out.

Moira isn’t one to usually scream her lungs out. After all, she had passed Alex Wesker’s little test for fear. Still, she had probably all but burst Wesker’s eardrums in the time they went airborne till they hid the ground and went rolling on a rough tumble. Still, Wesker shielded Moria as much as he could, and padded her with his own body as they landed.

“Are you fucking kidding me? That was the third storey!” Still, Wesker wasted no time. He pulled Moira to her feet and dragged her clear of the building and rubble.  They made it to a Neo Umbrella vehicle, but they were being shot at by a chopper overhead.

Wesker swore as he tried to swerve and not get hit, but it was only a matter of time. The last Moira saw was the car tumbling out of control, her world going upside down and everything fading to black.


	19. Finding Reasons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone needs something to keep them going.

**Carla Radames**

Neo Umbrella’s headquarters, her pride and joy. Gone. Her J’avo minions in Tatchi are probably gone too. Still, they are expendable. She can always get more.

The flames of the ruins danced in her eyes. The once majestic buildings now crumble in an unrecognisable ruin.  Between the destruction across Tatchi, Simmons’ revenge on the facility and now the Family’s bombing, the headquarters of Neo Umbrella had finally crumbled to dust.

She had underestimated the Family after all. They must have been spying on the site, on her activities ever since Neo Umbrella claimed responsibility for Tall Oaks. Still, they may win another battle, but not the war. She had heavily depleted the Family’s military power in the Far East anyway. She still has other bases, other C-virus caches.

The sight of Simmons’ body on the Umbrella Spire was gone. She couldn’t help but feel a tinge of sadness and emptiness. She had set out to sought revenge and destruction of his body, his world. Simmons is dead, and had fallen from the apex of power before the end. His own Family had rejected him. She got the revenge she wanted.

What was next? What else was she going to conquer? For a fleeting moment, a conscience she didn’t know she had surfaced, and questioned if this was all worthwhile. Achievements, like revenge, was empty and hollow without friends, without enemies, all but forgotten as the rest of the world passed on by.

Ada hardened her resolve. She needed perfection. She was a scientist at heart. The C-virus is to be a perfect virus. It was her project from the beginning and she will see it through. She will still strive for perfection, for power. She will not need the refuge of company or the languish of recognition. She shall rise above the rest of the world’s mediocrity and succeed. She is the Queen. She doesn’t need reason. None shall stand against her; all shall fall by her hand. The Family and their global order will still collapse once and for all.

* * *

 

**Moira**

Everything hurts. Her arm was in pain. Something is stinging, agitating her wounds. Ouch!

She struggled to open her eyes, and she saw a black figure touching her arm.

“Get the fuck off me!” She swung a punch with her right and put a good one to his temple. She was surprised the punch connected, and the man tumbled backwards for a moment, the Neo Umbrella mask finally falling from his face with a quiet clang. He grunted as he got back up.

She saw a bowl of water and bandages next to her left arm and felt a pang of regret. The man must have been tending to her injuries.

“Hell of a way to wake up young lady.” He shook his head and recovered his posture. It was more the element of surprise than the force of the punch that caught him off guard.

Moira locked eyes with the pale blue eyes for the first time, taking in the charming, if somewhat arrogant features of her captor. “You are…”

The man scowled, but didn’t bother reaching for the mask, instead he stared back at Moira with a plaintive gaze, brows slightly raised, daring her to look, daring her to recognise him.

Moira shook her head and gave a small apologetic smile. She didn’t recognise the pale captivating face, with the shortly cropped hair, thin eye brows and heavy brow ridges. He looked to be in his early twenties, wearing a demeanour between contempt and concern. Grey blue pupils locked on her, and a corner of his lip curled slightly. Not like a typical villain at all.

“They call me Wesker.” He shrugged, as if something like identity was not at all of importance.

“You mean… you don’t know who you were?” Moira gave a slight shudder at the sting as he continued to dress the long cut on her forearm. For all intents and purposes she should be mad at the guy, but she wasn’t. He got her into the mess, but came back for her and saved her from a building being bombed, and now he was dressing her cut. She wasn’t afraid either, not that she’s afraid of much nowadays.

“Can say I did. Woke up in an incubation tank in the middle of nowhere in the city close to a month ago. There was a computer with files saying who I was and what I did. The Neo Umbrella personnel there put me through a very strict physical training regime. Couldn’t remember a thing apart from what I was taught or told. Then they had an evacuation order and I was separated from them. I felt I had to come back to Quad Tower. To find my origins.”

Moira was intrigued. She had a penchant for wanting to help people. It was what she respected about Claire and what led her to joining TerraSave.

“Surely you had a life before you… lost your memories. How did you know what you read was real?” Was this man like Chris, going through amnesia from trauma?

“I don’t, but it’s all I’ve got.” The voice was young, and decidedly American.

“Why bother with the mask then?”

“I’m supposedly a top agent in Neo Umbrella. The mask was a requisite to keep me and my identity safe.”

“And they obeyed you?”

“Nobody questions orders in Neo Umbrella… and I happened to be the right hand man of Neo Umbrella’s founder… Ada Wong”

“She’s still alive?” The question earned her a glare from the grey blue eyes.

Moira shrugged. “Hey I may just be a random volunteer girl in TerraSave, but everyone knows Ada Wong claimed responsibility for Tall Oaks and Lanshiang.”

The man had finished cleaning the wound and started wrapping it in a bandage. “The less you know, the safer you’ll be.”

“I don’t want to call you Wesker.” Moira gave a small twist of her lips. She cannot associate the name Wesker with anything but heartless cruel abominations.

The man shrugged. “It’s only a name.”

“What happened to us? How come we’re still alive?”

“The car flipped, we both got knocked out, the helicopters must have thought we died. Fortunately, takes a lot more than that to finish me off.” He shrugged, and Moira could see that he had a couple of scrapes and cuts himself. “Fortunately, they built you tough, for a college dropout.” There was the first hint of a smile on his broad face.

“You should smile more often.” Moira found herself saying. Then she chastised herself. Why should she care?

“I’m going to call you….” She decided on a name, and whispered it softly.

“Oh? Hmm…?” Thin brows furrowed, and he ran a finger over his chin as he pondered the name.

“You’re a dragon. Nothing fazes you. Not even a car crash or jumping off a building.” Moira smiled as he finished dressing the wound.

“Where are we?”

“I got us to one of the hideouts in Tatchi. It’s little more than a shack, but it’ll do, and at least there’s a first aid kit.”

“Listen… thanks for saving me… up there. Do you think you can let me go now? I mean I’d only slow you down… and I think you’d have enough problems to deal with than the BSAA…”

Grey blue eyes cut across copper brown and they studied each other at the suggestion.

“It’s not safe out here. You’re just a defenceless girl. You’ll get killed.”

Moira bit her lip. What could she say? That’s she’s a proven TerraSave agent who can survive the crap out of whatever she needs to?

“I can use a baseball bat or something, I’ll be fine against zombies. I… hide well.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“I don’t want to go into details, but fine. I had an abusive uncle. Make of that what you will.” She snarled back.

“You’re staying with me, for now.” The agent shook his head and Moira could see he still wanted to protect her. He still felt responsible for her. “Your arm needs to heal, and you haven’t eaten in a day.”

As soon as he mentioned food Moira suddenly felt how famished, parched and sore she was. “Do you have anything to eat?”

Her captor shrugged with empty palms.

“There must be a supermarket or food store nearby we can scavenge supplies together.” Moira said as her survival instincts kicked in. There weren’t many survivors in the city in the aftermath of the virus attack, and most stores were left in the same state they were. Food and water shouldn’t be a concern here unlike her survival on the god forsaken island. She’d hate to have to catch her own kill in an infected place like this.

She pushed herself to her feet and staggered to the entrance, grabbing a golf club as a makeshift weapon. “Let’s get something to eat… I’m starving.” She’ll regain her energy, and perhaps try to shake off the guy in the city when the opportunity presented itself, or maybe they’ll run into BSAA operatives.

“Just stay quiet and don’t draw any attention.” The man was already at her side, silent and confident.

* * *

 

**Piers**

“Chris?” Piers sat in his pyjama robes at the table at their new room. They had finally been able to get one with a large enough bed for the both of them. Chris was looking battered and weary, wearing that look of silent regret as he did for most of July.

“Chris, what’s wrong?” Piers jerked his head for Chris to join him instead of pacing next to the window.

Chris sighed deeply. “They got Moira.” He struck his fist on the windowsill.

“Moira? Is she…” Piers wasn’t certain how to proceed. Chris was always close to the Burtons, and Moira was a cool friend, even if their paths hadn’t crossed too often.

“She’s kidnapped by Neo Umbrella, but the Family bombed Quad Tower last night. It’s now nothing but a heap of rubble. Claire and Leon’s rescue team barely made it out themselves. We have no idea where she is or if she’s alive.”

“Chris.” Piers stood up and strolled over to the Captain, laying a hand gently on Chris’ shoulder. “Neo Umbrella is still active? What are they planning?” He was feeling a little out of the loop, as Chris had been spending time with Jill going over reports and action plans, and he focused his energies on training and rehab.

“Most of the J’avo in Tatchi organised and pulled back to Quad Tower a few days ago, then a TerraSave unit was taken out and Moira was kidnapped, presumably held at the same location. Jill said The Family must have gotten word and sent a squad to bomb the crap out of the site. Their help would have been welcomed, had Moira not been there.”

“Chris, I understand how you’re feeling, but you can’t be guilty over something you had no control in.” Piers tugged slightly, forcing Chris to turn and look at him.

“Captain. Moira knew the risks, she survived the hell out of Alex Wesker’s kidnapping. She’s a Burton and she’s a fighter. She’ll pull through.” He stared intently into the walnut eyes and gave a squeeze on Chris’ bicep. “Figuring out Neo Umbrella’s plans and motives are going to be more important. There’s enough of us out there. Leon and Claire can keep tracking and look for Moira, they’ve got Sherry and Jake working with them. They’re good agents, they’ll be able to find her.”

Chris shook his head, trying to snap himself back to action. “I suppose you’re right. If they’re coordinating attacks, it can only mean one thing…”

“Carla.”

The pair exchanged another glance, resigned to the fact that their arch nemesis is still alive, with the power of the enhanced C-virus, and more capable of destruction than ever before.

“How the hell are we going to stop her Piers?” Chris crossed his arms as Piers pulled him to the bed and sat themselves down.

“I don’t know Captain. I wish I’m fit for duty and can help track her down but…” He shrugged his right arm, wriggling the bony protrusions along its tips.

“Hey you’re getting some movement back?” Chris asked, distracted by Piers’ progress.

“It still feels awkward, and it’s far from being a hand and an arm, but it’s better than what it was.” Piers said, still pursing his lips.

Chris took the appendage in his arms and gave it a kiss. “Piers, keep it up, I know you’ve been working yourself hard, you’ll get there. I’m with you completely on that.”

“At this rate it might be months before I get anything useful back. Leon said Simmons was able to transform pretty much instantaneously, but I don’t know how--”

Chris cut him off quickly. “Piers, don’t go trying that. We don’t know if that’s safe, and it seemed to be very painful. What if it was temporary? What if the rest of you mutated? Don’t take that risk ok?”

It was Piers’ turn to sigh. It was really hard to be nearly human, and still dealing with his lonely, unique existence. Now that Sherry was gone it was hard to stay positive all the time, but he didn’t want to drag Chris’ mood down any further. He was making progress, and that can only be a good thing. He wondered if life would ever be the same again for both of them, but they can only try.

“Chris, it’s getting late, why don’t we turn in? We did finally get a bed big enough for us after all…” He said meekly, looking at the King sized bed that Kaison managed to procure for his recovery. He felt his stomach flutter with a mixture of nervousness and anticipation. He’d shared tents and even sleeping bags with Chris on missions before, but sharing a bed because they _wanted_ to rather than _had_ to is a first. Besides, both of them have their demons to face. In some ways it might be better to face them together than alone.

Chris finally smiled, and pulled Piers in to a hug and sniffed his hair. “I’ll try to enjoy this, Piers.”

“Captain.” Piers smiled back gently and didn’t resist when Chris took off his slippers and laid him on the bed. “Let me sleep on your right I guess…” He flashed an embarrassed grin.

Chris traced the smooth cheek with a finger and winked for him to wait, then he brushed his teeth, turned the lights out and laid next to Piers in his T-shirt and boxer briefs.

“Piers, I don’t know what sorts of ordeals I go through when I’m sleeping. It’s been pretty horrible to deal with these nightmares, and for sure I’m going to get them, so it’s probably not going to be all kisses and cuddles…”

“We’ll deal with them together, Chris. When you’re falling apart, just tell yourself that I’m here, that you have me in your arms. Why don’t we start with that and begin on a good note?” Piers whispered softly and rolled towards the Captain’s broad form, giving a squeeze on his forearm and let himself be held in his embrace. He laid his head in the crook of Chris’ neck and planted a kiss, and Chris kissed him gently on his forehead, his fingers running gently over his relaxed soft hair.

They held still for a while, slowly relaxing in the physical comfort and touch of each other’s company, letting the initial trepidation and fear of laying down with someone, even one you’ve known day in day out slowly dissipate. They have been combat hardened soldiers for so long that they are guarded and on alert even when they slept, and to lie in another’s company was a test. In another time it might have been steamy and intimate, but they were both burdened with worry, anxiety, stress, disappointment, and the physical comfort and relief of being held meant far more than trying to gratifying their arousal.

Piers sniffed in Chris’ scent, gave a light sigh and buried his head on the solid pecs as he felt the strong arms circle his waist tightly. He wriggled a little to let himself be comfortable and closed his eyes.

Their breathing became longer and lighter, finding rest for the first time in each other’s arms.

* * *

 

“Hurg…no… Piers… don’t… leave me…” Piers caught the Captain’s voice through his stupor, feeling the arms shaking lightly and squeezing his sides hard.

“No… take me instead…” The Captain moaned weakly, tangible regret and resignation in his voice.

“Piers… the door…don’t… leave me… I….” Piers felt tears run down his cheeks onto Chris’ shirt as the Captain expressed his longing for him. He had long wondered what it was like for Chris. At that moment of parting down at the facility, it had pained him more that Chris was going to be left alone, just like in Edonia with nobody to look out for him. That thought bothered him far more than his own imminent death. He was thankful that those days have passed, that he could still be here in Chris’ arms.

“Chris, I’m right here.” He mumbled softly, and buried his face in Chris’ chest, hearing the pounding heartbeats of his dearest Captain.

“Piers….” Chris sighed, gave a light squeeze to Piers in his palms, and his breathing returned heavy and slow again.

“Cap..tain..” Piers whispered quietly, and kissed Chris once more, hoping that his presence would bring him peace for the rest of the night.

* * *

 

**Sherry**

“Claire, feeling any better?” Sherry knocked and brought in two mugs of hot chocolate for her mentor and best friend. The instant kind, as they’re still on a field base, but it’s something.

“Thanks Sherry. Take a seat with me.” Claire took the mug and brushed the hair out of her face, blew lightly over the mug and took a sip, clutching it with both hands.

“I know it’s a heavy burden you have over yourself Claire, but you’ll have to trust that Moira will make it. Leon and Jake are out there looking over the ruins, maybe they’ll find a clue. Maybe Moira wasn’t at Quad Tower at all. Don’t work yourself up so much.”

“Thanks Sherry, it’s really sweet of you to say that, but I still felt that I should have watched over her better. If only I took her with me to get your guys, or left more agents in charge…”

“Claire, it’s no use looking back. If Moira wasn’t there then they’d kidnap someone else and nothing would change…” Sherry took a sip of the chocolate and ran a hand lightly over her mentor’s back. Claire has been her big sister, almost like a mother to her in her long periods of isolation. She was always the one who had it under wraps, but ever since the incident with TerraSave in 2011 she has become a tad more vulnerable.

“I mean after the first incident I should have kept a better eye on her…” Claire evidently held herself to a very high standard as a superior. In Sherry’s eyes she and Chris are the same. They treated their subordinates as family, and get deeply defensive of them and gets personal whenever something happened.

“Claire, Moira has had some experience now in TerraSave, in survival. She survived six months in a forsaken place. She’ll pull through.”

“Sorry Sherry. I mean, I felt bad leaving you behind with Carla for those six months too. What is it with Chris and I losing people all around us?”

“Claire, bioterrorism affects all of us, you can’t change that. You have to stay strong for everyone else’s sake. I made it through China. Moira will pull through. We will find a way.”

The redhead smiled and took another sip of the chocolate. “You’ve trained hard as an agent. You did well out there last night. We’ve all gone a long way since we met in Raccoon city.”

“Thanks Claire. I learnt a lot from you. I’ve learnt that I can’t let my past, my family, my blood stop me from doing what is worth doing. Being out there, getting Jake out from Edonia and from China, I felt that my life is finally worth something, I can protect someone, do something good for a change. You shouldn’t give up too. You’ve done so much for me and Moira, for Chris, for Piers, for TerraSave. We still need you.”

Claire gave a slight smile. It was so easy for her to see her brother crumbling through the pressures of fighting bioterrorism and so hard to see it on herself. “I’ll keep it together. You’re right. Moira still needs us. I’ll keep fighting for her too like I did two years ago.”

She nodded quietly out to the night sky. The threat of Neo Umbrella is far from over. The next wave is just beginning. There will be so much for the BSAA, TerraSave and the DSO to overcome. Still, they stand united. With Chris, Jill, Leon, Sherry, Piers, Jake and so many others at her side, they’ll all pull through this together.

She found herself repeating her brother’s mantra.

“No one gets left behind.”

 


	20. Blood Ties

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaison updates Chris and Piers with results on the blood work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, any 'research' chapters are double hard to write due to the need to triple check the lore and various viral effects to avoid inconsistencies. Viral effects are a bit of a mess given Capcom's canon but I think everything still lines up for now.

It was Chris who woke up first from their first shared night together. He loved how warm the bed was, the feeling of a warm body in his arms. The echoes of another’s quiet breaths beside him.

Piers.

It was almost magical, opening his eyes and staring at the dozing sniper in his arms, his head half on the pillow and half on his chest. The little knot was still present on his brow and his lips still had that alluring curvature that screams ‘kiss me.’ There was a remnant of a smile on the face, as if he was having a very pleasant dream, or was just completely relaxed and content in Chris’ presence. Chris felt a tender spot in his heart swell with emotion looking over Piers. The bittersweet feeling of love and possessiveness that comes with adoration and satisfaction of being with the one he wanted, mixed in with the fear and anxiety of one day losing that he held so dear.

Chris quietly exhaled and smiled looking over his partner. They had taken years to come this far, yet nothing feels more right. He had been so used to sleeping and dealing with his nightmares alone that he had forgotten the relief and comfort it was to have someone he could open his heart to. Once upon a time their differing rank and life experience might have stopped him, but Piers had proved to be a voice of reason, of trust and of companionship that he so needed in his life. He held onto the warm body in his arms even as he felt some numbness from the sniper’s weight. In sleep Piers was still so attractive and desirable. He closed his eyes again and kissed the top of Piers’ head, letting Piers get a little more rest than he could instead of waking him. He was quietly listening to Piers’ breathing, quietly smiling as he felt the little jerks and movements he might have now and then in his arms, feeling the warm hard bulge that was pressing onto his thigh.

It was his wish to wake up every morning like this with Piers by his side. He wouldn’t trade it for anything else.

The body stiffened slightly and wriggled as the sounds of a yawn broke the silence. The sniper realised he was trapped and gave a silent chuckle. He buried his head in Chris’ chest and gave a light kiss.

Chris gave a little tickle with his fingers on Piers’ ribs in response.

“Hahaha” clear, quiet laughter rang through as Piers squirmed in the Captain’s arms as he continued his assault.

“Ahhh. Stop it!” He teased, and tried to grab onto the muscular forearms with his free palm but Chris had held on too tightly to give him much wriggle room.

“Morning Piers.” Chris said, kissing the top of Piers’ head.

“Ugh… morning, Captain.” Piers yawned halfway through his greeting and lazily rubbed his eyes.

“Look at you, sleeping like a teenager.” He finally wriggled his arms free from Piers and held him in a side hug as he tried to recover from the blood flowing back into his numbed limbs with a sting.

“Captain…” Piers grinned, and flexed his erection.

“Oh don’t you worry kid, I’ve got one too.” Chris pressed himself on whatever part of Piers that he was pressed against.

“Oh wow.” Piers grinned and looked up, locking eyes with Chris. It was an invitation as much as it was challenge.

Chris slipped his arm over Piers’ torso and felt over the erect hard nipples, tracing the firm outlines of the pecs and abs. “Man that’s hot.” He sighed in relief.

“Captain...” Piers held his palm over Chris’ wrist and used it to feel and rub over himself. Chris moaned and bucked his hips, pushing against the fabric of his briefs and Piers’ robe.

Piers turned and slipped his hand into Chris’ briefs, finding the heated bulge within that was already warmed up and loaded.

Chris groaned in appreciation, adjusting the blanket to let Piers get to work as his free hand groped Piers’ butt, pinching the firm flesh lightly and working it in his fingers.

“You’re a naughty Captain.” Piers playfully chastised him, and slowly slid himself down Chris’ torso until his breath was on Chris’ erect morning wood.

“Fuckkkkk.” Chris sighed as the ever so desirable lips wrapped around his longing and took him in. He rocked his head back and a wide grin spread on his face as the smooth lips and warm tongue greeted his manhood with a flutter of kisses and rubbed against his sensitivity. He flexed, feeling himself grow even harder from the attention and tried his best to stay still as the sniper gripped him at the base and worked him over.

The quickening breaths and moans punctuated the morning bliss and Chris held his arms back behind his head, watching Piers bent over and sucking him, looking up at him now and then to give a proud smile.

“Feeling good Captain?” He took a breather while jerking the rod in his talented fingers.

“Oh Piers… don’t stop… hmmm…” Chris felt his eyelids flutter as Piers admonished his helm and caressed his barrel, the tightening grip and intensity building from his loins.

“Piers…” He warned the sniper and they locked eyes for a moment, and Piers took the tip in his lips, jerking hard with his hand and finishing Chris off.

“Ahhhh…ahhhh…ahhhh…” Chris tensed and lost himself as he shot in Pier’s mouth, the latter taking as much of his cream as he could quickly and gently massaged the sensitive flesh, helping get every drop of Chris’ nectar to his lips.

“Ohhh…” Chris groaned as Piers swallowed the last drops and licked him clean. He rubbed his hands all over Piers’ soft hair in appreciation, sighing lightly at the relief and how good it felt.

“Thanks Piers… it’s a hell of a way to wake up.” He squeezed his shoulder and pulled him to a rough kiss.

“Like I said, we might as well start on a good note.” Piers was all smiles as he melted away in Chris’ arms.

“Mmm..” They planted many light kisses on the dancing lips, and they rolled around on the bed for a while in the pleasure of one another’s company.

“Lets’ get your baby batter sample down to Kaison too.” Chris said, grabbing a sample cup and dragging Piers to the shower with him before the sniper could protest.

* * *

 

They dropped off the sample and met up with Kaison for a review.

“How are we doing guys? I’ve been doing a lot of blood work with Jill, Claire and Moira’s blood samples with the team. Here’s what we’ve found.”

“First let’s talk about Claire.” Kaison smiled, knowing Chris always cares the most about his sister. As we know the t-Phobos virus mutates when the subject passes a fear threshold. In Claire’s case she didn’t reach the threshold, and she has been administered the t-virus vaccine after the incident. The vaccine combined with her own immune activity over the last two years means she has been cleared of any risks of t-Phobos activating in her.

Next about Moira. In Moira’s case she was definitely able to feel fear, with the fear of sharp objects and fear of guns being the prime examples. Still, Moira was able to overcome the effects of the t-Phobos virus activating despite her bracelet turning red. When the tower collapsed she should have mutated, as her bracelet turned red, but she didn’t. It is unusual and indicates that there is a permissive element and interaction between the virus and the host…”

Piers spoke up. “So Moira didn’t give in to the virus because of her genetic makeup? Or was it because of her force of will?”

Kaison gave a shrug. “It’s a very good question and one that is very relevant to you. I studied Moira’s blood samples you guys sent in. The best I can deduce is that it was a combination of genetics and mental fortitude. The t-Phobos is the only other virus we’ve known that is connected or controlled by the subject’s mind along with the enhanced c-virus. In Moira’s case the virus was rendered ineffective and unable to act or reproduce and we presume it was eventually cleaned up by her own immune system without the need for a vaccine. I speculate that she has thus an innate immunity now from most variants of the t-virus. I’m not sure if there’s anything specifically in her blood that could help. Anything relating to mind control and will is very much under researched right now, we don’t even know what we’re looking for.

Still, as you can see Piers, t-Phobos sets the precedent that it is possible a virus responds specifically to the user’s will or mental state. In the original C-virus the subject’s will is directed by Ada Wong. Jake and Sherry reported that even after Ada’s ‘death’ Ustanak followed her orders to the end. In the enhanced C-virus’ case, we see the mutations and effects are directed and limited by the user. You have managed to stay in control and harness the power and regenerative capacity of the virus without a full body mutation. This means that like Moira, you also have the combination of genetics and mental capacity to dominate over the enhanced C-virus. In our last meetings I’ve said that the virus was meant to have two effects. The first was about mental control- the injector would likely have near full control over the injected subject. In your case this isn’t an issue as you self-injected the virus, just like Carla. In Simmons’ case Carla forced him to go through painful mutations until she died, then Simmons resumed control, but he lost it gradually as he became obsessed by the virus’ power and in destroying Neo Umbrella and his enemies. For you, you have demonstrated signs of directing the effects of the virus to obey your will, and it healed you, got you out of the facility and even now is starting to regenerate your arm back to how you wanted it. I have no other explanation for this than the fact that like t-Phobos, the enhanced C-virus is subservient to your mind. After all, you are supposed to be a very powerful soldier after your enhancement, and that power is to be directed by you.”

Piers gave a slight smile “Any way I can improve my control? I mean I want my arm back faster, I can wriggle it better, but it’s still far from human.”

“I’m not sure. Chris probably knows better. You have completed mental fortitude training programs in the Special Forces already, and that might be part of why you have stayed in control anyway. Perhaps the DSO, FBI or US Secret Service might have other programs, but you have to ask Leon for that. As a researcher, I think it’s like a muscle, train and you’ll get better. Be mindful, focus well, and do it often.”

He flipped to a different page on his results. “The last part is Jill’s blood. Colonel Valentine has heightened numbers of white cells in her blood, and her B cells developed very powerful antibodies. I have procured a sanitised version of the progenitor virus sequence from the samples sent in by West African Branch. Jill’s antibodies are able to identify against them, and this effect has also extended to the C-virus, thanks to its origins from T-02 and G-virus being descended from the progenitor virus. I was able to gather a large number of antibodies from Jill with her kind sacrifice and I tested a sample of it with the enhanced C-virus from Simmons. In short, in low amounts, and over time, exposure to the enhanced C-virus can allow her to create suitable antibodies. You can consider Colonel Valentine as an alternative to Jake Muller. Even if we couldn’t find Jake in time, it may have been possible to develop anti-C from Jill’s blood alone… perhaps this is a sign of hope- that the BSAA shall always hold a last line of defence against bioweapons of all kinds, with Chris out there holding the line, and Jill from within having the capacity to adapt to its effects.” He paused with his finger over his chin, lost in thought.

“We are soldiers. Jill and I just do whatever we can with the BSAA.” Chris shook his head lightly. This news means of course that Jill would be even more valuable to the BSAA and might see even less chance of field combat. He knew her partner would miss those days, and he wondered if Piers might run to the same position eventually.

“Where was I?” Kaison regained his trained of thought. “As the enhanced C-virus was engineered specifically with Jake’s blood, Jake’s blood cannot develop antibodies to overcome it. Rather, both Sherry Birkin’s heightened resistance with her immunity granted from her G-virus regenerative state, and Colonel Valentine’s heightened immunity can do so. In time, Piers might too, but the effects are rather different.”

Chris sat up with the news. “Jill can make an enhanced C-virus vaccine?”

Kaison nodded. “Yes, I believe so. Of course, we can’t go about injecting anything else in her. She’s too valuable as our program director and overseer of current operations. I’m working with her white cells to see what we can do.”

He paused and looked at Piers. “That said however, a vaccine can’t really reverse your existing mutation, or should I say in your case… enhancement. I have studied and compared your DNA sequences before and after infection. There have been a number of gene loci that has been altered to give you the ability to adapt and regenerate from injury. I don’t think I can reverse those easily. Granted, it’s not bad at all, so I’d say it’s probably something you can live with, once you get your arm back to how you want. It just means the virus will be purged and won’t bother you anymore, but it also might not be able to save you anymore from another scenario like that in the underwater facility.”

Piers gave a shrug. “I’m happy for my near death experience to be a once in a lifetime occurrence.”

Chris held Piers’ hand. “Hey, that’s not funny Piers. In our line of work it’s a daily thing… maybe you could use the protection.”

“I’ll think about it.” He shrugged. “So it means I will keep my bioelectricity and whatever strength enhancements I’m supposed to have with my… f- something... remind me what was it?”

“Fascia, the membrane layer that controls and strengthens skeletal muscle movement. Yeah. If you could direct your regeneration you’d basically be human with Sherry’s healing powers and bioelectricity and strength when you need it.”

“Hey strength isn’t not all bad you know.” Chris smiled and gave a squeeze with his palm. “Sometimes rocks and things just get in the way of our fists, right Piers?”

Piers finally had a slight grin. “No boulder’s going to get in our way, Captain. Also means I can kick your ass anytime I need to now, right?”

Chris gave a slight slap on Piers’ head. “I’ve got years of experience on you rookie. Just you wait.”

“When I get my arm back, I’m taking you on.” Piers grinned, and Kaison smiled in defeat.

“For the next little while I’ll see if I can combine something between Jill’s blood, Jake’s blood, Sherry’s blood and Moira’s blood as a booster of sorts. One that could help stabilise the virus as well as boost your natural immunity and regeneration prowess. It won’t be easy, but Merah, our ‘Chemical Queen Bee’ had published something about keeping compounds and cytokines stable through a ‘queen bee’ molecule. Perhaps her notes can help use in this regard. I’ll keep you updated.”

Piers reached out and shook Kaison’s left hand and exchanged a fist bump. “Thank you Kaison, appreciate all your hard work.”

He gave a polite nod and went back to the lab. “Merah would have done the same, had she been here with us.” 


	21. Scavenger Hunt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The hunt continues.

Golf club in hand, Moira and her companion set out towards the nearest supermarket.

The looked around for signs of infected, then with the back of his fist, Wesker easily knocked out a window pane, kicking out the shards for Moira to join him.

“Foood!” Moira grabbed a zip up shopping bag and started going for canned food, water and crackers, tossing a bottle of water to Wesker as they both parched their imminent thirst from losing blood.

Moira prowled the aisles with experience, filling her bag with this and that. By the time Wesker found her, she was happy sucking on a lollypop and she already filled a first bag for him to carry.

“Candy’s bad for your teeth.” He smirked.

“I need sugar or I’m gonna die.” She shrugged. “I thought you had memory loss?”

“Hey, losing my identity doesn’t mean I’ll lose common sense.” He snarked back.

“Why don’t you try to remember who you were? What if what you’ve been told isn’t real? Isn’t that more important to you? I mean they didn’t even give you a name.”

“They did. Wesker.”

Moira twisted her face in disgust. “Wesker isn’t a name, bonkerhead. It’s a curse. If only you knew where the name originated from, you’d be appalled too.”

“I… honestly have no idea.”

“It started with a twisted scheme called Project W, an objective founded by the original Umbrella Corp. They kidnapped children from promising families, injected them with a prototype virus over the course of their lives and gave them all the surname Wesker. Most died. The two that survived eventually became depraved enough set on a path of self and global destruction.”

“Umbrella is Umbrella.” He still sounded distant and unconcerned.

“And you think Neo Umbrella is any better? Ada Wong already wanted to destroy the world once already! What would you gain from helping her do it a second time? You can rise above all this. Don’t just be a pawn in their games, Drake.”

The confused man shrugged. “I’m a Neo Umbrella agent. You think I seriously care about right or wrong?”

“Fine. You might not have morals, but do you have a purpose rather than please some phantom leader who isn’t even around anymore?”

“Hah.” He gave a snort in defiance.

Moira grimaced. Did that mean he had contacts with Carla? He knows she’s alive?

“Drake… do you remember being injected?” Moira pressed on, knowing how uncomfortable he was getting.

“I…” thin brows arched and contorted as he clutched his head, trying to remember. “I don’t know.”

“Try to remember, Drake…” Moira said with compassion. “Neo Umbrella is going to turn you into a monster, if that name is any indication.”

“If that is my purpose so be it.” He shrugged. “Besides, isn’t calling me a _dragon_ also calling me a monster?”

“God damn it, why are you so fucking loyal? What did you owe them? Try to be your own damned person!” Moira was losing it. She acted out in every way in her childhood, and to an extent, her family let her due to the underlying bonds of love. Deep down, she was grateful for that despite knowing how much stress she caused her family at times. She believed everyone should at least have the freedom to explore who they wanted to be, well, to an extent. No world destroying monstrosities. 

“I have my orders.”

“Whatever. Until the day you learn to grow a pair and a backbone. Go fuck yourself.” She decided to ignore it, starting to filling another bag. “Hey, how much supplies do we need?”

“What, you’re thinking for the long term… with me now?” He was amused, but Moira turned away and threw a lollypop to him over her shoulder.

“Don’t you get used to it. If you’re not the infected then you’re an ally... for now.”

Satisfied they have what the need for the moment, Moira peeked her head out of the carpark. Things were looking good until she knocked over a pot plant and made a noise.

“Shhh!” Weskers was on her case and he peered out. The noise had started to draw a number of nearby infected.

They ignored Wesker but headed towards the source of the noise, toward Moira.

“Shit!” Moira drawn out her golf club and started knocking heads off infected. With Wesker’s help, the slow rotting corpses posed nothing much of a threat.

“Sorry.” She sighed. It reminded her of the incident with Evgeny on the island where she brought waves of rotten back to their hideout and they had to fight their way out.

Her moment of reprieve didn’t last long. She looked up to see a huge shadow moving towards the store, seemingly rolling from the streets. She stared with horror as it collided with the panes of glass on the store front sending shards everywhere, making a horrifyingly loud noise in the silence of the dead city.

“Fuck!” She was on her feet to get some distance as a second figure joined. “Whopper supreme! Two of them!” She remembered the name that the BSAA had given them.

“Sounds like my type of burger.” Wesker said, cracking the knuckles of his fist as he took on one of them.

Moira darted close and squared off the other Whopper, keeping pillars and cover between them to give her room. It was dangerous to get that close, but in the absence of guns and wanting to make more noise that was all she could do.

The whopper rolled towards her and she darted out of the way watching it slam into the brickwork. She chose the moment as it tried to get up, and hooked the club right on the knee, again and again trying to bring it down. The whopper screamed and rolled towards her, trapping her club under his weight and bending it.

“Shit!” She backed off in haste, looking for another weapon but finding nothing except some loose bricks on the ground from the cracked wall. She reached down and grabbed one when she felt a pair of cold hands grabbing her shoulder.

“Get the fuck off!” She swung a back kick but missed, and smashed the brick into the skull of the zombie that crept up on her, the impact sending her brick flying.

“Ugh!” She saw a horde of zombies closing in towards her. She had to think fast. There weren’t many routes of escape.

“Drake!” She screamed, and ran towards the store, throwing whatever heavy objects she could get her hands on towards the infected. She threw pot plants, used shopping trolleys as battering rams, tore out a plank from the shelf and smashed it. She ran towards the hardware aisle and finally found a couple of sturdy shovels. She started playing cat and mouse in the aisles among the racket the two whoppers were making outside. She hoped that Drake could handle those, and soon.

She didn’t know how many infected she hacked down. Her ears were filled with their raspy cries for her flesh, everywhere she turn she spotted grey fingers and lumbering bodies. Just how many of there were there? Half the store was already in a mess and she don’t know what she’d do if she finally gets cornered. She slowly fought her way back outside, a trail of outstretched hands in her wake.

Her arms were aching from the weight and the repetitive motion of swinging the shovel. Her sides were burning from the constant application of too much force.

“Drake!” She ran clear to the carpark, seeing the remains of one of the whoppers, and catching the sight of Drake seemingly knocking back the other with an uppercut.

“Took you long enough!” She spat as the zombies followed her out. “Gimme some help here!”

Drake was on them in no time, his movement a blur of shadows as he launched a flurry of kicks and punches to the figures with Moira holding the line. Eventually Moira sat on the floor behind his figure, letting him take down the last dregs of the infected that made it to the area.

“My arms are going to snap off.” She rubbed her shoulders, panting like an animal sprawled on the concrete and tossed the shovel aside and checking the cut on her arm was alright.

“Here.” Drake tossed her an energy drink, and she almost choked herself drinking too fast.

“God. That was almost not worth the trip.” She tried to regain her breath, watching Drake also leaning on the wall drenched in sweat.

“You did good.” He nodded, noting the somewhat deformed shovel at her side.

“One good thing about watching zombie survival TV shows.” She sighed, finding the chocolate in their stash and stuffing her face.

“Let’s get out of here.” They disappeared through the night.

* * *

 

“We should check that place out” Leon said, after hearing the noise of what sounded like a glass wall crashing blocks away.

“After you.” Jake snorted, their footsteps sounding jarring in the otherwise silent city.

Their movement was slowed by dregs of infected at every corner. They were evidently in the heart of the infestation. They eventually fought their way to a smashed grocery store and it was a scene of carnage. Half the store front was smashed in. There were piles of soot everywhere where infected once were.

“I sense large BOW signatures here not long ago.” Leon said. Someone must have just finished fighting them.

“Hell of a fight by the looks of it.” Jake was prowling inside the store, seeing rows of toppled shelves and scattered goods.

“Some of these footprints are fresh…” Leon said, looking at splatters of goo and sauces. He took to his training as agent and took photographs on his PDA.

“Hannigan, can you analyse these sets of prints?” He signalled his operations partner as Jake prowled for something worth salvaging.

“I wonder if apples still kept that long.” He took a look at the produce section out of curiosity, but the smell told him everything he needed to know. Defeated, he made his way to the snack aisle and settled for dried apple instead.

“Feeling peckish?” Leon asked watching his younger partner rummage through the food aisles.

“Hey I was still a teenager till not so long ago.” He shrugged.

“Leon, Jake come in.” Hunnigan’s voice rang through the comms.

“The smaller prints seem to be of a short female. I think it could be Moira Burton. As for the larger prints… they matched Mr. Muller. Are you sure they weren’t Jake’s prints?”

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure.” Leon said. He’s not that careless.

“Hey it’s just a boot print, could be anyone’s I guess.” Jake shrugged.

Leon scanned the area, looking for leads. “Come on, let’s see if we could still catch them. At least she’s alive.” They went back studying the prints, trying to track down their friend.

“Well that’ll cheer Claire and Sherry up some for sure.” Jake said, feeling just a tinge unsettled being in this place, hunting someone who apparently reminded him of himself.

* * *

 

Chris checked over his emails, finding a new one in his inbox from one R.K. Bennett. Curious, he opened the message.

_\--_

_Captain Redfield_ ,

Thank you for you and the BSAA’s operation in Lanshiang. That was a close one.

I have several photographs you may be interested in. The vehicle was bound for SE Asia. The BSAA better be prepared for her next steps.

_R.K. Bennett._

\--

Chris checked the photograph and his face twisted at the wretched shade of repugnant blue on a hooded figure with a scarlet scarf, seated in an unmarked black SUV vehicle.

Carla Radames. That bitch is back.

His first instinct was to punch the table, but he told himself to take a deep breath. His recklessness had costed him dearly in China.

He also found two photographs of him and Piers in action during their mission in Lanshaing from the start of the month. He sighed, seeing Piers in his uniform wielding his anti-material rifle proudly with both arms intact. The photographer evidently had skill to not draw Chris or Piers' attention taking the photo, but then again, those were moments of intense firefight. The photographer had nerves of steels to get frontline footage. He just hoped he was on their side.

“Piers, take a look at these.”

“Chris?” Piers came to his desk, brows furrowed at the figure.

“This is Carla Radames. Her face… is that grey slime? Isn’t that what Ada Wong said…”

Hazel eyes met brown, both sets of brows knotted in thought.

“She’s alive isn’t she, Piers.”

“Hate to say it, but I think so.”

“That bitch is going down.”

“Too right, Captain.” For once, Piers agreed with him.

Piers saw the other two photos of himself and Chris. “Captain! These are…”

“Yeah, we made the news somewhere.” Chris said, reminded of the pain of his losses that day all over again.

“Still, it is good to have these… as a reminder of our partnership, Piers.”

Piers smiled and rubbed his right hand. “One day Captain, I swear we’ll be out there again getting those BOWs.”

Chris finally relaxed a touch and gave a light scratching to Piers’ neck.

“Who is R.K. Bennett?” Chris asked.

Piers studied the screen. “Bennett… I’m thinking of Bennett University in Singapore. We met with Merah there to search for Doug Wright… and his nephew…”

“R.K. … must be Ricky Tozawa.” He nodded. “He mentioned something about being a freelance photographer. He’s a friend, Chris. He still wants to support us after the Marhawa incident.”

Chris gave a proud smile. “Then the Marhawa rescue was worth it then. He’s a good guy. I guess he was also involved in this from the beginning and wanted to avenge his uncle. Let’s hope he can keep sniffing out Carla for us.”

“Captain, if she’s headed for South East Asia she may launch another outbreak. We better get Anti-C distributed there.”

“I’ll be in touch with Jill and TerraSave. Hopefully the UN has that region sorted.”

“There’s hundreds of thousands of lives at risk. Let’s do what we can.”


	22. Found in Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some dreams are lost in nightmares, others are realised in them.

Piers looked around the collapsing facility, smelling the salt of the ocean and the slight uneasiness of confinement underwater. It was the all too familiar hauntings of the Neo Umbrella site.

He had revisited this site many times over in his conscious hours, and in his subconscious ones. Still, every time it was fresh and vivid as the first.

“Piers, come, we’ve got to get out of there before the facility floods!”

Piers ran at the Captain’s orders, feeling the odd familiar sensation as he looked over himself. He has both arms. He is human again.

He sighed in relief, finally being able to run and control his body like he was used to. He paused for a moment, catching his breath after holding the gate open for Chris to come through.

BOOM!

The gate behind them shattered.

A haunting shriek rang in his ears. He didn’t need to look to know who it was.

“Captain, you have to get away…” It was too late. Chris wasn’t going to make it, and despite knowing the outcome, Piers had already got up and threw him out of harm’s way before his mind had registered the action.

“Ahhhhhhh.” His right arm seared with pain as he rag dolled in Hao’s clutch. Now that this time he knew what was going to happen, he felt everything. Every tearing of the ligament, the compression on his muscle tissue, the cracks in his bones, the toss through the air, and the expected sharp impalement on the cold hard metal shard through his bicep. The expectation intensified the pain. No amount of reliving the experience could ever lessen that.

He screamed out in pain and panic, hating fate for doing this for him a second time. The pain was white hot from his arm, threatening him to pass out for mercy, but he saw Chris run towards him and before he knew it the metal container had been thrown on his trapped arm once more and his voice rang hoarse at the agony.

“Chrissssss!” He felt every bit of pain in his arm, but he yelled harder for Chris to try to escape the white fingers behind him. Chris needs to get away or else…

His hope had failed him once more as Haos easily caught the Captain in his grip and started squeezing. Piers forced his breathing to remain steady, trying to block out the immense pain he was in as blood flowed freely from his wounds. He ignored it, scanning his eyes for the glint of white metal.

I don’t care. I’m going to do it all over again if it’s the only way to save you Chris.

His eyes caught the glow, and without a moment’s hesitation he ripped himself free. He felt suddenly lighter and as he gazed over his shoulder he realised he had torn his arm right off, and he sank to his knees in pain, with even more blood gushing out of his wounds. Tears were streaming down his eyes at the physical pain and the reminder of his emotional trauma, but once again he had no time to think. He had already done the thinking a thousand times over. He would always do this for Chris. Always.

I need my arm back. I need to kill Haos. I need Chris back.

He caught the vial in his palm, and he fell onto his back in the sea water, feeling the burn on his raw ragged flesh for a moment staring into his fate. Another choice. Another chance at destiny.

I need my arm back. Human. I need to protect Chris. I need to shoot and kill Haos. I need to stay in control.

He raised the injector high, focused all of his will and mental capacity and injected himself.

There was a frightful lull of peace as if time stood still, while he still had the last shred of full humanity in his veins.

Then the transformation began. A tsunami of sensation and emotion as his wound seared with heat and pain. The pain subsided to a numbing, almost ticklish sensation as new tissue grew out and he willed his mind to control it.

I need to be myself. I need my human arm back. Come on. I can do this.

His mind burned with fatigue at the control. He felt an intense dizzying spell, an invitation to rest, to sleep, to surrender control of his body. It was such a powerful sensation that he almost couldn’t fight it. It promised peace, and freedom from suffering, and eternal rest, something he truly earned and deserved a thousand times over. He should just pass out. It’s just for a little while…

He heard Chris’ voice in his haze. A fuzzy yet familiar reminder of who he was.

_“Piers!!”_

Haos still had Chris. His partner.

_“Piers!! No… don’t leave me! Don’t you dare leave me again.”_

He forced his mind back to staying alert. I need to stay in control. The battle was far from over. He focused his blurry gaze at the figure he knew to be Chris.

Come on. I can do this. I can do this!

_“I’ve got you Piers!”_

The voice echoed through his mind. Chris’ voice. Strong. Reassuring. Desperate.

_“Stay with me!”_

The Captain was so far away, yet the voice sounded as if it was spoken right to his ear. Distance in time and space did not lessen the impact of those words.

“Ahhhhhhhhh!!!” Piers grunted in response, adding his vocal resolve to the test. He won’t let Chris down.

_“Hang in there, Piers!!”_

He grunted at the channelling of his will and the gruelling torment. He can’t afford to give in. He can’t rest. Not yet. Not until Chris was safe. He felt the familiar build-up of energy tingle at his shoulder, to his elbow, to his wrist, to his palm, to his fingertips. He let the energy charge for an extra moment, building his resolve, his strength, his prowess.

I’ve killed you once, and I’ll kill you again. You are no match for my power.

“Die!” He channelled the bioelectricity to Haos with ease, and a blue white bolt of energy struck Haos’ face with unrivalled ferocity. Piers hung on, baring his teeth as he charged and continued fortifying the electric assault on the BOW, watching with satisfaction as the ghastly fingers uncurled and dropped the man in its gasp, as Haos’ form became paler and smaller and finally exploded to nothing but a mess of slime and liquid.

The bright light in the room finally faded, and both men closed their eyes to recover from the sudden darkness.

“Piers, are you alright?” Chris clutched his side as he waddled over to Piers. Piers was panting from the exhaustion. He was tired mentally and physically, but he felt the Captain’s left hand on the back of his hand.

“I’ve got you, Piers.”

He felt Chris squeeze his palm.

His right palm. His human palm.

He squeezed back, bringing the hand up in the long familiar but until now an impossible sensation. He felt his strength join with Chris’ as they lifted their forearms to gasp their palms and they exchanged a strong fistbump. Chris wrapped his arms around him, touching his forehead with his own.

“You’ve done it, Piers.” He sighed in relief as he held on, supporting Piers’ weight as it got heavier and heavier in his arms.

Piers got weaker and weaker, by now Chris was supporting all of his weight and he could no longer stand on his own. Piers opened his eyes to see a trail of tears from Chris’ face.

_“Piers… hang in there for me.”_

His heartstring was tugged at the heavy emotions of longing, of pain behind those words.

“I’ll always be there for you, Captain…” he whispered softly as his mind started to blank out into a radiance of all consuming white light.

He gave a last gentle squeeze on the muscular arms which held him so tightly. He relaxed, looking one last time into the concerned pupils of the man he loved and at last closed his heavy eyes, feeling the physical and emotional exhaustion of what felt like centuries of fighting and finally sought peace in that promising rest he deserved. His hand fell limp by his side with a final weary smile.

“Love… you…

…Captain.”

_“Piers!!!!”_

* * *

 

_“Piers.”_

The warm voice that belonged to the most important man in his mind once again ran gently in his ears. It seemed as if lifetimes had passed since he last heard that voice. Loving fingers squeezed his shoulders lightly. Warm lips brushed against his cheek in a display of cherished love. His body was warm all over. He felt very comfortable and very protected.

He was already smiling before he opened his eyes.

Honey hazel eyes stared into the dishevelled face, the messy hair of Chris inches from his own. He looked tired, but relieved and so very happy.

“Chris!” He raised his brows slightly as a question. What happened?

“Piers!” Chris twisted his face, as if he didn’t know whether he wanted to smile or cry, and somehow managed to do both. He pulled Piers up and cradled him protectively with both arms, splashing the front of his shirt with two drops of tears as their foreheads connected. It was the same last embrace they had in the dream.

“Chris?” Piers felt tears coming on seeing Chris cry. He remembered the dream. It wasn’t the first time, but it was so real, so vivid. He had clung on, saved Chris again. Haos was gone.

“Haos is gone.” He spoke the words from his mind without even processing it. It was both a question and an answer.

“Haos is gone.” Chris reassured him.

“You know what else is gone?” It was both an invitation and a challenge.

“My nightmare.” He smiled weakly.

Chris’ brows shot up. He evidently didn’t expect the answer, but he also nodded. Piers was right.

“And?”

Piers was trying to see how bloodshot Chris’ eyes are. There were a few strained capillaries. He could suddenly see all the fine details on the face of his man. The little specs of stubble on his weary face, lines of worry locked between his brows, the reflection of his own face in his deep pupils, the love and emotions at his core. He could see his own eyes in Chris’ reflection, Chris’ eyes in his reflection. He lost himself in the gaze of the walnut brown and the infinite images of two men staring deeply into one another.

“Piers!”

He shook his head to get his thoughts back. What happened? Chris’ brows furrowed slightly in concern.

“How are you feeling?”

Piers scratched himself at the back of his head. He felt alright. Better than he had for a long time. He felt over his short prickly hair, staring over his chest, abs, legs absentmindedly as Chris squeezed his left hand. Was something different?

“I… I’m ok right? I haven’t mutated again?”

Chris shrugged in defeat. He didn’t deny it, but then again, he wasn’t sad about it either…

He finally checked over his right shoulder.

If Chris wasn’t holding on he would have jumped two feet in the air before he composed himself.

“Wow, what the hell?” He brought both palm to his face, staring at them incredulously, at Chris, at his hands again.

“Welcome back, Piers Nivans.” Chris gave a strong slap to his right shoulder. Piers barely felt the force as the Captain lovingly took his right palm and wrapped it between both his own.

“You did it my ace! You did it!”

“Chris!!” Tears ran down Piers’ face this time before he recognised the significance of the moment. He sobbed and this time he was soaking the fabric on Chris’ shoulder. Tears just came without words. All the struggles, the inner pain, the turmoil of weeks that he held in check, the fears and uncertainty that he had never shared but tucked deep within his heart. They had finally vanished. There was nothing to fear anymore. His humanity, at least in appearance, was back.

He wriggled his fingers, squeezed Chris’ hand back. He swung his arm around his shoulder, around the elbow. Everything was… as normal as he wanted it to be.

“Tell me this isn’t another dream.” He gave a soft kiss on Chris’ morning stubble.

“It is. The dream _you_ had always wanted.” Chris said, rubbing his hair freely. “Congratulations.”

“I…” Piers looked down for a moment, and looked up again to Chris’ eyes when the realisation hit him. “You…”

“I will always love you in whatever shape you are, Piers.” His reassurance was welcoming even if his timbre was tired.

“You stayed up all night with me, didn’t you.” He stared knowingly into Chris’ eyes. He had to be up during the episode.

Chris lifted his brows wearily, but relaxed them. “Yeah. You were thrashing and screaming in pain…” He looked down guiltily. “I knew exactly where that scream came from... I thought it was my nightmare until…”

“Chris…” For once Piers rubbed Chris’ hair with his regenerated hand. “I’m sorry I hurt you.”

“No, it pained me more to see you go through all that again.”

“I’ll do anything for you. A thousand times over, if I need.” Piers said.

Chris punched him on the shoulder. “Don’t you dare kiddo. You’re not ever leaving me behind again. Promise me.”

“Chris, I…”

“Promise me, Piers!” Chris was suddenly serious.

“I promise.” Truth be told, Piers wouldn’t want to leave Chris’ side either, ever. If he could help it. If he could.

“They say that hearing is one of the few senses we may retain when we’re asleep.” Piers said, trying to remember the vivid episode. “Thanks for… encouraging me, guiding me in my nightmare. The words you spoke by my side, whatever they were… it made a difference, and I wanted you to know that this is a win for you as much as it was for me.”

Chris just held on lovingly and cradled Piers’ head on his shoulder.

“We better see Kaison and get some quick checks done. I’m sure you’re fine, but he deserves to celebrate with us.” Chris said, pushing Piers to the shower while he rang to book a meeting and examination with the doctors.

Piers came back out to see Chris clutching his robe and dead asleep. He smiled and watched over the tired Captain for a little while until it was almost time for the meeting.

* * *

 

They spent an hour with the physicians and Kaison doing checks, running x-rays and reflex tests. Kaison was as excited as the pair was at the incredulous recovery.

“Well, for all intents and purposes, your musculoskeletal system is healthy and functional. Good as new. I couldn’t have done a better job growing you an arm myself.” He laughed, and exchanged a high five with both officers.

“We know of course that you still have your special fascia. I daresay now that you no longer have to focus on healing, when you start training you will see rapid improvements in your physical strength and coordination.”

Piers for once was able to hold Kaison by both shoulders. “Kaison, thank you so much for everything. I wouldn’t have made it through without you and the team.”

The researcher smiled back with relief. “I’m very happy that you’ve progressed as you are. You have the toughest fight out of all of us Piers. Keep it up. We’ll keep monitoring of course, and report to us whatever you feel so we can ensure you’re on track.”

He brought Piers in front of a mirror. “Look.”

Piers stared back, seeing that the faint scar he had across his face had also faded, and there was almost no visual traces of his prior injuries except for a very fine break in his right eyebrow. He touched over his face lightly, and shared a quick kiss with Chris who had approached from behind, putting to rest the final trace of doubt and shame he had in his mind. He had learnt to accept and live with the scar, but it was better still to not to be reminded each day of his suffering, or worse, to have to explain it if it ever came up in conversation.

* * *

 

“Piers, I’m dragging you and Jill to celebrate now that you can get out, you must have been sick of being stuck here and not be out. What do you want to eat?” Chris had been grinning so hard all morning his cheeks were getting sore.

“I want… local favourites. I don’t know, can we just take a walk and browse the streets till I see something I like?”

“Well I better grab you some proper shirts now that you fit back in them.”

Piers had forgotten how much he enjoyed just being out, being free, not worrying about hiding himself, the stares from others, just being himself. They took to the streets, walking at a brisk pace under the late July sun. It was almost overstimulating for Piers coming from his quiet solitude in the research base to be in the open markets, among so much noise, sounds, colours, whispers of conversations in languages and dialects he didn’t understand. The smells of petrol from the vehicles, food from hawker stores, flowers in the market, scent from the tea houses. It was fun as much as it was different and almost scary.

Of course, the three of them still got plenty of stares. Chris stood taller and broader than most, Jill’s very pale hair and his own handsome features drew a lot of looks at every corner, but they took it in stride. They made it to a local restaurant serving Sichuan specialities and Chris ordered a number of favourites with the few phrases he had picked up.

“You boys are so, so lucky.” Jill said with a smile gazing over Piers’ perfect features. “It took me years before I was able to make it back into the public. Here you are, on a vacation in the middle of China after what, two weeks since you woke up?”

“Thanks Jill, I knew you pulled a lot of strings for this one.” Chris smiled. The BSAA used to be very cautious about the quarantine of infected agents, but at a time like this where every man was needed and there were bigger threats demanding attention, him and Jill were able to sign off fully over Piers’ conditions provided they keep him in check and update his reports.

“I’m just glad those tests and protocols I ran through were worth it, at least for someone else.” Jill smiled and nodded thanks as Piers poured her and Chris some tea. In a way she had gone full circle. Having Chris and Sheva wrestle her back from Wesker’s control and see her back to health, and now for her and Chris to do the same back to Piers. She owed Chris a lot for what he went through for her sake. She was glad she could finally pass it forward.

“You’re our pioneer Jill, without you BSAA would have grounded me for sure.” Piers gave a smile. Chris had fought hard for Jill to be reinstated following her recovery from Kijuu but it still took a lot of evaluation for her sign off. He didn’t fancy being locked away for two years himself at all.

“We faced different challenges. For one you haven’t been controlled by and doing questionable duties under the most wanted man in the BSAA for three years, so your clearance is less of a concern than mine, however your mutation stage was far more serious and uncharted. I am still amazed at the extent of your recovery, but goodness gracious if you were on home base you might never see the sun and moon again.”

“Shit Jill, nobody’s locking Piers up.” Chris looked visibly worried.

“I know, I wouldn’t want to lose the most promising and accomplished young operative from our branch either. I care about Piers as much as you do, Chris.”

“Thanks Jill. You’ve always got our backs with the higher ups.”

“We are still the original founders. There are fewer and fewer of us left in active duty, but we’ll hold the line as we can. I’d like to be out there whopping BOW ass too, but BSAA has a severe vacuum of front line agents who can make the transition to be good commanders and tacticians.” She paused, looking across to Piers while he scooped rice for Jill, Chris and himself. “I know you’re grooming Piers to take over from you as a field SOU Captain, but he also shows promise as a tactician and strategist… he’s too valuable to the BSAA.”

“What? Me?” Pier pointed a finger at himself, incredulous at the suggestion. Chris squeezed his hand lightly as he received his bowl of rice.

“Yes, in the six months you were in Edonia, I had followed your strategy and your reports and joint operations with European branch closely. They had nothing but praise and adoration for what you’ve done for Chris, for Alpha Team, for BSAA in Europe. You have gained a lot of civilian support for the BSAA and in your tireless search for Chris you had become something of the personification of the BSAA’s prowess and values. Europe branch said they had many wanting to sign up from Edonia simply because they knew that the BSAA doesn’t leave anyone behind.”

Piers locked eyes with Chris. He had shared very little about how things were in Edonia, the drawn out, unfruitful search that in the end succeeded almost by pure chance. Heaven knows how he pulled himself through except by following Chris’ footsteps and determination in his search for Jill. [author notes: Some of Piers’ accomplishments and choices in Edonia are explained in my fic ‘One Way or Another’. Even though the beginning and the ending are different in this universe, Piers’ experiences and trials searching for Chris in Edonia are considered to have been very similar in this work.]

She smiled and changed the topic to not embarrass Piers further. “I remember the first time Bearfield took me out to a French restaurant after I got out. The smell of fresh bread still gets me to this day. I’d forgotten I could order what I wanted to eat off a menu instead of someone just dropping off a tray of food. You’re lucky Piers that he brought you food every day.”

Chris scratched his head slightly and offered her some stir fry instead. “Sorry Jill, I would have too but we didn’t have as many agents back then and they still sent me out a lot. “Besides, I wouldn’t hear the end of Piers’ complaining if he was stuck with bland chow.” Piers pulled a face at that comment.

“It’s alright. At least you made sure my favourites were rotated back in once in a while.” Jill said, taking a sip of tea to offset the spicy tofu she just had. Thankfully Chris did ask for the dishes to be made not overly spicy for Jill and Piers’ sake.

“So how’s training going?” She asked her men.

“Well, we’ve been training hard since, but Piers will need to readjust of course, to having his arm back. You’ve read all of Piers’ reports as have I over the years though. I’m sure he’ll be back to form in no time and itching to get out.”

Piers shrugged. The break was nice, and in a way well deserved even if the majority of it was unpleasant, but he got adequate amounts of one on one time with Chris, and that was almost worth it for that alone. He’d be wanting to get back out and make a difference of course, but not before he was satisfied with himself that his abilities are up to par. Besides, he didn’t have any of his combat gear or rifles. He had to leave his anti-materiel rifle in the facility as it was slowing him down when being chased by Haos. He really missed his pride and joy. His other partner.

“I’d be hoping to get back out once I get my marksmanship and fitness back to par. Think of me when you can assignments and missions in coming weeks ok?” He smiled and passed some of the vinegar fish fillets to Jill.

“What about you Chris? You’ve been out of it for six months. Still up for duty?” She asked, watching Chris watch Piers eat.

Chris paused and swallowed his food. “Well you know I am still going through the psych evaluations and mental rehab. Physically I’m fit for it, but the emotional trauma, the PTSD… the alcohol and tobacco withdrawals… those take a while to get over. I mean, having Piers back has helped a lot, but I don’t trust myself for doing something stupid back out there again…”

“Captain, you’re still our most experienced agent, we need you.” Piers gave his arm a squeeze.

“I’m not turning in my gun, if that’s what you’re concerned about.” Chris gave a reassuring nod. “I just don’t want to risk any more of my men’s lives out there.”

It was Jill’s turn to sigh. “You think my job’s any easier? I’m overseeing this entire operation against the C-virus and Neo Umbrella. Any losses are as much mine than anyone else’s. Sorry Bearfield, we all have it tough here. Still, if Piers get cleared for duty I have more faith sending out the two of you than either one.”

“Yeah, we’ll be in it together.” Piers said. He didn’t want to be separated from Chris even if he could work with someone else.

“Well you boys keep training and getting yourself ready. I actually contacted Quint Cetcham at HQ last week to see if he could design a suitable weapon for Piers to use. He might be flying in any day now Piers, so perhaps he could custom build something for you. I daresay he’ll find you a good challenge. There’s so many missions flying out the door that I’m bound to run out of teams at any point. Get yourselves ready and you might just see some action. I mean we even have Claire running recon at times and she’s supposedly running her own humanitarian projects with TerraSave. I mean mostly it’s been about Moira but still…”

“Keep Claire out of the front Jill, she’s emotional as I am, and at least pair her with someone more cool headed, like Leon.” Chris said, feeling ever protective over his little sister despite her prowess and capability.

“Well the news was that Moira is alive and with a Neo Umbrella agent somewhere in Tatchi. Leon and Jake are playing cat and mouse trying to find them. Sherry is helping Claire sure up the defenses on TerraSave and continue the clean-up, so they’re fairly safe for now. The Family did clean up a fair few of them in the last attack, if nothing else.

I also checked over the intel you sent us before about Carla Radames heading to South East Asia. Deployment of anti-C to the region has met with difficulty. The areas are heavily populated, but there are also a lot of remote, isolated communities, and a lot of them don’t trust modern medicine such as vaccines or needles. On top of that there is the whole problem with corruption and not being able to get anything done unless there’s something in it for them, and goodness gracious some of the states want to hoard anti-C and sell it for money. It is freaking insane.”

“Well shit.” Chris shook his head. “There could be an outbreak any day now. Where Carla goes, destruction follows. If we don’t get anti-C out in time they could be obsolete soon.”

“I’m trying, but the BSAA can only do so much. It’s just a very diverse landscape politically and geographically. All we can do is warn them. For many, they simply won’t act till it’s too late, and then it becomes our problem again. We’re fairly stretched in the Far East though. I will need to call the Oceanic and Middle East Branches to pitch in.” Jill sighed. She can deal with bioweapons and outbreaks. Playing politics and currying favours with the UN and to get governments to heed their advice? She hated it, and hoped that the director can keep doing the best they could.

“Neo Umbrella must have a site in the region. We need help looking for it. Does Ada Wong have any traces? We haven’t heard from her in a while.” Chris said.

“No, but it’s good to update her and let her know Carla was spotted heading to the region.”

“I feel we need to get some operatives in. How’s Sheva doing? Parker? Maybe they could get ready scout the region out.”

“Yeah I’ll get onto it. You two just get yourselves fit for duty OK?”

* * *

 

“How are you feeling Piers? Still OK? Not too overwhelmed?” They had stepped back onto the research site towards their room.

“It’s always going to be… different, Captain, but this transformation is one I’m very willing to work with. Don’t worry about me. I’ll do my best to fight my battles, as you will fight yours.” He tried his best to reassure Chris.

“You’ve already been helping me since Christmas eve last year…” Chris stopped, and Piers fell out of step, turning back to look into the walnut brown eyes.

“Captain, you..”

“You are going to keep helping me, as I will keep helping you. We need each other. That… is why…” he extended his right hand to Piers, his equal, his hope and his successor.

“...that… is why…” A smile crept over the Lieutenant’s face, and he looked up, clasping the palm in his own, his hero, his dreams and his inspiration.

“We’re partners.” It was no longer a dream. It has once again become a reality. Some dreams are lost in nightmares, others are realised in them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking with the story so far. Updates will be a little slow over the next weeks due to other deadlines. Don't worry, there's plenty planned for the story and it will not be abandoned.


	23. On the Prowl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two pairs of agents are on the prowl, inching closer towards their targets.

“Hey Supergirl, wait up.” Jake hurried after his partner as they systematically scanned level after level of high rises, through numerous workshops, makeshift factories, offices and homes. They had fanned out their searching areas based on the prints, trying to track down just where Moira and her captor’s hideout might be. It couldn’t have been far, yet the sheer abundance of high rise apartments and offices means even searching a block thoroughly may take weeks, and it’s all too easy for them to play cat and mouse if Moira was on the move. He and Leon really wished Moira dropped more clues along the way. Granted, he’s much better at picking out the smallest details on concrete now, but there was only so much scanning the ground hunched one could do before seeing stars everywhere.

The blonde smiling agent by his side was a welcomed distraction, always staying positive and rarely complaining of the hard work. She made it bearable, almost fun.

“When we see her I’m going to remind Moira that she now owes me a lifetime’s supply of Canadian ketchup chips and smarties.” She said, brushing her hair as it damped from the seaside humidity.

“She owes me a couple of pairs of decent boots.” Jake scoffed. “I’m sick of kicking down all these damn doors.”

“Sorry Jake. We appreciate your sacrifice.” Sherry rubbed his palm and gave a smile.

“Why are you wearing that scarf anyway? It’s the middle of July.” Jake laughed seeing Sherry flustered from the heat. He always wondered how Piers, Sherry and even Carla endured the heat with that scarf of theirs. He would go shirtless if he could. He was quite tempted to in fact, seeing as it was just Sherry by his side. He had at least once caught her eye linger over his low cut Henley when she thought he wasn’t looking.

“Just in case, you know.” Sherry said. “Every gal’s always gotta be prepared for the situation.”

“Right, because one of these offices might have crazy Edonia-esque air conditioning and you might… ahem, catch a cold.” Jake chuckled. “Gotta be prepared, yeah, like the million and one random things in your bag. What are you, that nanny lady, Sherry Poppins or something?”

“Hey, just that one day you’ll appreciate it. Remember that day when you wore your suit for the first time to meet the DSO guys and forgot to open the vents? Or that time they ran out of sugar for your coffee at the field base, or when you got bored waiting for the evac and didn’t have any reading material… Besides, don’t you mock my childhood fantasy. I sure could use an awesome nanny to cheer me up instead of Simmons and government officials all those years ago.” Back in those days, her only escape was in her mind, fantasising after fictional character heroes and heroines who she identified with. Mary Poppins, the one who could always make the impossible possible through goodwill and trust. Cosette, the poor girl locked up and put to abuse waiting for the day to be rescued one day by her Valjean. Belle the bookworm of provincial France, shunned and judged for everyone because she and her father was different, Bell who used the courage and knowledge she gained from books to one day help her transform beast to man.

She smiled at the hunk of a man before her trudging along office after office. Had she finally been able to help her admirable beast unlock himself from his prison of isolation and distrust to revitalise the rose in his heart? Will Jake too one day overcome the prejudice and scepticism of those around him to be who he is within instead of the labels he’d been pinned under?

Gentle blue eyes followed the strong lines on the defined back and the strength of the broad shoulders. She had certainly grown to see Jake differently since their acquaintance. She is now a hero in her own story, with her own partner, one who is so strong, and yet so fragile. A couple from both such shattered past but hopeful of a bright future. Fairy tales sometimes do contain an uneasy fraction of truth.

The warm voice jolted her thoughts back to the present. “Supergirl, I love you and your preparedness, but there are always alternatives in any situation.” He said, holding the door open as the made it to another level.

“I feel so naked without my bag of goodies. I don’t know how men can just walk the streets with a wallet and a phone.”

“Simple life, that’s why. We don’t imagine ourselves in catastrophic situations day in day out.” Jake shrugged, earning himself a jab to the ribs. “And if we do, we find a way out.”

“Says the guy who got kidnapped halfway across the world and was caught in the biggest biohazard outbreak the world has seen.”

“That’s just the world telling me it can’t resist my charms.” He smiled and took it in stride.

Sherry smiled and shook her head as she rolled her eyes. Sure, Jake and her were opposites in a lot of ways, but he was easy going, respectful and still deferred to her when it counted. From what Claire tells her it’s supposedly very rare in the masculine gender. Then again, Sherry had only known a handful of men. Leon always bene outplayed by a girl or another, and seemingly preferred it that way. Chris watched over her dearly as he did Claire, and Claire always said he had a soft spot in his heart. Piers was ever kind and polite but perhaps that was just good upbringing, and Jake is just sweet. Simmons… well he’s no model, but that level of obsession and devotion to a woman is at the least extraordinary. Chivalry wasn’t dead, not with the role models she had. Maybe she was lucky.

“Besides, we both found our way out. Together. No prison will hold either of us down forever.”

“Jake. Thanks.” It was the little affirmations and connections at moments like this that made her believe what she is doing is worth the while.

“They say that women have this thing called intuition. What’s your intuition about where Moira is?” Jake asked. He was getting sick of the prowl. He looked forward to the little scuffles and fights with pockets of infected instead. At least he’d get a decent workout, a little adrenaline to break up the search.

“My intuition is that we keep doing this and we’ll get there. Moira is waiting for us.” Sherry said. She was more inexperienced than he was with field work, almost following orders to a T because that’s all she knew from her sheltered upbringing. Jake on the other hand, often took shortcuts haphazardly and improvised as he saw fit. Neither really believed the other’s approach would work in the long run.

“How about we skip this floor?” He asked.

“But what if…”

“Yeah, yeah. Just kidding, I guess.” He wasn’t really, but he didn’t want to be proven wrong either. Sherry had far too strong a sense of duty.

“Jake, Sherry, how goes the hunt?” Leon’s voice buzzed in their comms.

“Nothing so far. I saw some pretty cool concept sketches of the next generation gaming console and mobile phones, and robotic vacuums that also played fetch with dogs. I’ve learnt to recognise another dozen or so Chinese characters and Sherry found a few collectible figurines in a capsule machine she liked, fluffymon or something, so maybe you can call that fruitful?”

“Haha. Just keep your eyes out. I have a tip from Hannigan. She was able to decipher something based on the data we got at the Quad Tower. Let’s meet at the subway station entrance B and I’ll run through the new codename locations with you.

“Thank god someone else could do the heavy lifting. We’ll see you shortly. That woman is a machine and deserves a raise Leon. You should take her to dinner.”

“She doesn’t do dates on the clock, sadly. If you have any tricks up your sleeves I’m all ears.”

Jake gave a little smile. He hadn’t expected Leon to actually reply to that, then again, one has to hand it to Leon for his tenacity to try, try and fail and fail better.

“And you’re saying that with fine pleasant company by your side.” He couldn’t help but jest.

“Err. Right. So Claire… you feel like crepes and ice cream after this?”

Sherry and Jake exchanged a look and laughed. Leon is one fine role model indeed.

* * *

 

Under the subtropical heat, the deserted village in Myanmar stood out from the rest in its solitude and silence. There were no signs of the usual swarm of flies or carrion either, just the quiet absence of life, as if it was frozen in a stasis, floating along from a parallel universe.

The pair of BSAA agents approached quietly. Reports were that a hooded figure strayed into the area days ago, and the screams that followed were the only trace of her activities as noted by a fleeing vendor from a neighbouring town. Nobody had heard from the village since.

The well-tanned agent bent down to examine the empty bamboo shack. No signs of life. No signs of BOWs or infected corpses. The agent looked out the village square over the haphazardly arranged cluster of shacks. There were footprints of panic in the dirt. Signs of thrashing about of bodies. No obvious signature of a wide-scale infection or battle.

She dabbed a handkerchief at her forehead. She’s no stranger to the radiance of the noonday tropical sun. What she didn’t enjoy, however, was the all-encompassing humidity that seemed to sap energy out of every pore.

“Any luck, Parker?” She looked towards the heavyset, stout agent despatched with her for the mission who squinted at the sight beneath broad reflective aviators. He gave a small shook of the head, walking into the shade of the shack while adjusting the device in his hands. Genesis 2.0, it was named, fresh from the labs of Quint Cetcham at European Headquarters. She was glad he brought the instrument and requisite technological aptitude along if there were no visible BOWs to be hunted.

He brushed his recently shortened dark brown locks trying to remember the settings that Quint had taught him, and slowly scanned it around the room.

She was by his side, checking both her partner’s face and the screen for a sign.

BEEP.

“Looks like a lead, Sheva.”

The sinosuidal tone confirmed a finding, and Parker walked towards the spot for a closer scan. He followed the instructions to another spot, and another before motioning Sheva towards what looked like a temple, the only hut to be adorned with metallic ornaments.

Sheva studied the desecrated place of worship while Parker made recordings. The altar was toppled, and for once there were drops of blood on the ground, signs of a fight. Machetes, spears laid fallen. There was a puddle of blood where a body must have been laid, yet there was no corpse. She didn’t know whether to be relieved or disappointed. On the one hand it saved them having to do cleanup or the chances of the infection to spread, on the other their clues and intel are extremely limited, unless Parker and his Genesis 2.0 scanner can reveal anything.

“Got it!” Parker strolled over to Sheva’s side and showed her the screen of data.

“What does it all mean?” Sheva didn’t care much for technology, preferring the field workings of combat, to infiltrate by stealth and to kill.

“It found traces of viral agents bearing C-virus signatures. As in they are based on the C-virus, but they’re not quite the same as the ones encountered in Edonia and China. This is ground zero of a biohazard outbreak, no doubt about it, but the purpose wasn’t just to turn the village into BOWs. It was something else. Something… more sinister.”

“Where are all the people? All the infected? How many were involved in the attack?” Sheva had tracked all the prints carefully since their arrival. There have only been the sandals and poor quality footwear of locals in the impoverished village. No tactical boot prints, no heavy vehicles or artillery.

Parker aimed the scanner upwards as its beeps grew louder.

“There.”

They both looked at a hole in the thatched roof.

“Give me a leg up. I’ll take a closer look.” With Parker’s help launching her upwards, Sheva clung onto the beam of the ceiling and studied the area. She saw a puncture hole in the beam.

“Grapple gun.” She tumbled back down. That was why there were no prints. The infiltrator likely had grappled from hut to hut to make a stealthy entrance. But why bother being so secretive if it had the power to overcome an entire village?

“Well on our records there are only two known agents famed for using grapple guns. And only one with a fondness of spreading destruction in her wake.” Parker said in his Italian accented English. “Ada Wong and Carla Radames.”

“Carla was here?” Sheva looked to her partner, and it was a question and an answer. All the intel from Jill and the BSAA had pointed to Carla heading towards this region in South East Asia. The Genesis 2.0 scanner had picked up and confirmed the presence of a C virus signature. This was it.

“What happened to the people? Any signs from the scanners?”

“It looks like they had disintegrated. As you know, C-virus infected will disintegrate to soot upon death. A week is too long for anything to have remained.”

“But why would Carla infect a whole village just to kill them all?” She played with her hoop earring, as it was in her nature to do so when pondering.

“Who knows? Maybe to hide a secret? Keep herself hidden?” Parker started uploading his signal. Quint can take care of it and forward it to Jill. They need to keep tracking down Carla.

The pair made it back to the village square, trying to decide their next steps. Sheva studied the prints on the ground again, the scorched earth seemingly warping under the noon mirage.

She froze as she made out an extra shape on the roof’s shadow and drew her handgun stealthily.

“Freeze!” She fired a warning shot and looked up, realising too late her mistake. She couldn’t aim if she tried, for her opponent had positioned its hooded figure right in front of the blinding noonday sun.

“Who are you?” She demanded. The light was torturing her eyes, but she dared not avert her gaze. Any sign of weakness and it could be over.

A hand reached out to tug at the hood as the laser sight of Parker’s rifle aimed square at its head.

“Stand down. It’s over.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long! Still fighting other deadlines. Also the plot is in a rather complex state so trying to do it justice.


	24. Honing In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The identity of the mysterious agent is unveiled. Chris and Piers hone their abilities.

“Stand down. It’s over.”

The figure stood undaunted as the hand lowered the hood, palms open to gesture held no weapons were held.

“Ever the sharpshooter, partner.” The snide voice goaded, trying to air out his flaming red hair which bunched into a mess beneath the noonday sun.

“Raymond! What are you doing here cadet!” Parker Luciani lowered his gun, taking a step as his old protégé did a flip and landed onto the ground lightly.

“Same as you are. Tracking down the one responsible for this.”

“Are you working with us or against us this time?” Parker was relieved to see a familiar face, but he had grown wary of trusting anyone from the FBC ever since being caught in O’Brian’s whacky gambit in 2005, being betrayed by Jessica and almost drowning in the Mediterranean. Still, Raymond had saved his life twice over. He knew the boy was worth fighting for even at Terragrigia.

“Not like you’ll trust me anyway whatever I say.” Raymond sighed as he nodded curtly to Sheva who still watched him suspiciously.

“This is my partner for this mission, Sheva Alomar. Sheva, this is my old partner Raymond Vester who used to work for the FBC, and had partnered occasionally with the BSAA, but goodness knows where his true allegiance lies.”

“My allegiance lies with humanity’s interests, Parker. That hasn’t changed since Terragrigia.” Red brows squinted at his old mentor, as if in hurt that he could insinuate his loyalty to any other cause.

“That’s what Morgan would say too about the FBC’s actions. Never mind that they destroyed a whole city and would have done more for the sake of their supposed power balance.” Parker retorted. “Every man and his dog will claim their version of personal gain as humanity’s interest.”

“Even Albert Wesker would have claimed what he did was good for the world.” Sheva added as they retreated to one of the shacks away from the heat, dark brown eyes gazing intently into the sharp nosed agent. “So, power balance again? Is that what started the whole C-virus hoohah in Tall Oaks and China?”

“You could say that. Simmons’ Family. President Benford’s decision. Neo Umbrella. Tough gig for the BSAA to balance prickly world politics as well as bioterrorism eh?” The redhead teased.

“You’re pretty well clued into this cadet. Done your homework?” Parker looked across with surprise.

“Hey I’ve always been known for my sharp eye and intuition. I’m come long way from the cadet in 2004. The whole world is on the line. The BSAA might have stopped it last month, but well, here we are, another theatre of war.” He nodded his head to gesture the village they’re in.

“So Carla was here? What did she do with the villagers?” Sheva asked. Any intel, however questionable would aid their present circumstances.

“She was here. I had been at her trail for a while ever since we got word that Neo Umbrella is on the rise again. Always several steps behind, but she’s definitely back. Mostly keeps to herself. I’ve never seen her in the company of others apart from J’avo in her service. Doesn’t talk. Doesn’t show her face, always in a cape. Then she suddenly shows up here, right in the heart of poverty stricken Myanmar and just wipes a village off the map.” Raymond said, brushing his hair in frustration at its refusal to cooperate. The heat and humidity was frizzling it all up.

“Exactly. Why would she do that if she’s hiding her trail?” Parker asked.

Raymond stroked his chin as he pondered. “I can think of two reasons. One was that it was important to her. Maybe she needed something. Maybe she wanted to test a virus. The second was that she no longer needed to hide, perhaps. Maybe her base is nearby? Both are unsavoury.

I think the whole village was infected. As you saw, they barely stood a chance. She wouldn’t have just fought them for fun. J’avo and infected don’t get aggressive on her. Going by the lead of one of my contacts, I’d say perhaps she had… assimilated their power, like Simmons did.”

Parker and Sheva exchanged a gaze. “How much power are we talking about?”

“Who knows how the enhanced C-virus works. She probably needed it bad to infect a secluded village like that rather than kidnap a man here or there. Maybe she was wounded? Maybe she needs it for the next stage of the plan. Whatever it was, she is powerful enough to wipe a village without a trace, and she has now grown even more powerful after whatever power she gained.”

“This is bad. Real bad. Is Anti-C effective here?”

“We don’t know, perhaps that’s why she went out of the way and chose a poor village still ruled by a shaman. We’re in the population centres here. Hundreds of thousands of poor, uneducated communities left and right, ripe for a … harvest, if you call it that. It’s going to be a colossal shit storm depending on how hungry she gets.”

“That’s not good. I don’t know if the two of us are enough for this. Raymond, who else is on our side? We all need to stop her! This woman is set on global destruction!” Parker laid a hand on his former partner.

“I know. We’re here to fix Excella’s wrongs.”

“Excella Gionne?” Sheva looked up at the familiar name from Tricell. She and Chris had personally put the end to that woman. She was the last whom Wesker betrayed.

“Yes, under instruction of the FPC (Federation of Pharmaceutical Companies) Jessica and I reported to her for a number of years as she rose in power. By the time we knew she worked with Albert Wesker it was too late, but our relationship allowed us to keep tabs on their intel and activities. We believe she had sold some reagents, strains of viruses to Carla or the Family. The Progenitor virus. The T- virus. Wesker’s own serum… the experimental strain he probably used on himself… I don’t know what else.”

“She sold Wesker’s serum? Who would need that?” Sheva said, recalling the only weakness that Wesker had.

Raymond shrugged “Who knows. Excella obviously had a fair exchange in turn in resources, or maybe it was political power and favours from Simmon’s Family. She took over Tricell Africa shortly after the trade. In fact, the FPC, Jessica and I think it was a gambit. She and Wesker were keeping tabs on Carla’s research. It was just a ploy to watch their labs and perhaps one day take their research for their own. Had she been still kicking around with Wesker, who knows whether Carla stood a chance to get as far as she did.”

Sheva pondered the situation. “There were rumours abound… that Carla made a doppelganger. It could be Wesker, but I hope not. If they had Wesker’s virus and the serum, an antagonist as strong as Wesker could be back.” Wesker was the toughest challenge she and Chris had to take on together at Kijuju. It was still a combination of ridiculous amounts of luck and friends at the right places that allowed them to pull through and put an end to his schemes. She didn’t think she’d be lucky besting Wesker again if he was back in top form.

“Wesker or not, plans for another complete, global annihilation is already in order. Carla is cunning enough to take down the world multiple times over unless we stop her.”

“We’ll need your help Raymond. Everybody has to pitch in to stop her. The BSAA is already joining forces with DSO and TerraSave. Think you can lead us to her?”

Raymond gave a nod. “It’s why I waited here for you. Let’s go.”

* * *

 

Thud thud thud. Thud thud thud thud. Thud thud thud.

The steady rate of fire poured out of the trusted machine pistol. The familiar rhythm was music to Piers’ ears as he finally started getting the control back into his aims.

Chris tallied up his results. Piers was shooting at about 90% of his usual accuracy. Given the drastic changes to his physiology, the month of suffering and rehabilitation and getting reaccustomed to his new arm and vision, this was a really, really good result. Anyhow, 90% of Piers’ efforts was still miles higher than most other agents.

“Doing good Piers.” He said with a thumbs up, picking up his handgun, donning headphones and polishing his own aim also, losing his stress and woes by the steady thundering of bullets and shower of casings on the arrays of targets before him.

They lost track of time, being hyper focused on the repetition and rhythms of target practice. As the aces of their respective units, shooting was in their blood. In the song of bullets and gunpowder lay their truest passion and concentration.

After switching several targets Chris took a break, looking over to his partner to see how he was doing.

Piers was a machine. He was no longer using the scope on the MP-AF. In fact, he was firing patterns on the target board. With that level of precision one could almost think he was a painter… of the impressionist style, with bullets.

Chris gave a smile seeing Piers mark out their initials on the board with bullet holes, then hid it with a raster of other bullet holes. He had not come out of this worse than before, and his hand-eye coordination finally seemed to return in full measure.

Chris readied a number of rifles and placed them next to Piers’ station as well as a drink. Perhaps he might want to try out his preferred weapons again.

Piers noticed the movement from his peripheral vision. Emptying the clip of the gun, he finally set it down, took his headphones off and gulped down half the electrolyte drink Chris had chosen for him. He closed his eyes for a whole minute to refocus and avoid straining his vision while Chris wiped the sweat off his brow.

“Don’t tire yourself out OK?” Chris smiled seeing the confident spark back in Piers’ eyes. He evidently was pleased with his own performance back at the range. The focused, dedicated operative and sniper was back.

“I feel great Chris! I’m not tired at all… the gun felt like nothing and I feel like I can go for hours!” He said as he flexed his knuckles and joints.

Chris raised an eyebrow suggestively but Piers slapped his hand in response.

He took a ten minute break, then picked up the rifle Chris gave him.

He loaded the weapon and let loose on the long range targets Chris had pulled up. He took the weapon with both hands, aimed down its sight carefully and fired.

Easy headshot.

Chris smiled watching Piers knock out the targets with relative ease. Even the random moving targets were no challenge.

His jaw started to drop when Piers took the rifle one handed, locked his elbow and repeated the feat. He lost a bit of stability and accuracy, but all the shots were still on target, and for fixed targets he only lined the shots the first time with the scope. With practice, the stability and accuracy also improved.

“Piers…”

Piers jumped up and gave Chris a hug.

“Chris! Did you see that?”

“Yeah, what the hell?”

“We fired rifles two handed for stability and to offset the recoil, but then I realised my second hand wasn’t doing any work anyway. I think with the extra strength and control from the enhanced fascia network I don’t really need two hands to offset the recoil, even though the ergonomics of the gun were probably against me.”

“Piers you’ve gotta be shitting me. It’s badass enough to use an anti-material rifle from a standing position. Next you’re going to tell me that you can fire Gatling guns one handed.”

Piers shrugged. “Is that a challenge?”

“No! I’m…” Chris suddenly didn’t know how to respond. He was glad that Piers was back in tip top form, and even better than before, but at the same time it was slightly disconcerting to have him suddenly outclass everyone in conventional weaponry. What is anyone in the BSAA going to think when they see Piers dual wielding rifles without needing to aim? Reloading issues aside, was he going to be experimented on? Isolated? Will others get scared of him?

“Chris.” Piers strolled over until they were eye to eye. He could read the line between Chris’ brows.

“You’re worried about me?”

“I’m proud of you Piers…”

“but…”

“no buts…”

“You’re lying.” He creased his own brows in response.

Chris sighed. “You’re right. I’m just a little worried, about what others will think…”

Piers smiled a little. “Thanks Chris. I’ve made my choice though. Even back when my arm wasn’t what it is. I’m not holding back anymore.”

“You did?” Chris stared with concern to the innocent yet determined eyes. How did Piers come to such a tough decision so easily?

“All my life, people have been trying to hold me back for one reason or another. Heck. _I_ was trying to hold myself back from who I really was. I can’t always be chained to people’s wishes and desires. I can’t always lower my expectations and potential for the sake of conformity. Ultimately I have to be true to myself, and if being the best of the best means it’s going to be damn lonely at the top, let it be. Besides…” He paused, and took Chris’ palm in his own.

“Besides, I already have you, and my family, and people like Sherry and Claire who will support me. Every step of the way. I know I won’t be alone. Even without the virus I was already judged or feared for being who I was. I’m sick of fitting in. I’m ready to let go and be myself.”

“Piers…” Chris clasped Piers’ hand, feeling a sense of trepidation about his future. He had always been proud of Piers’ achievements more than his own. He wasn’t uncomfortable about Piers exceeding his abilities, but he felt as if he could no longer play the role of protector. When Piers is to be himself, he would excel. He had long resisted being promoted to captain another team. If Piers was too important they would be separated.

Who was he to kid though, he hadn’t done any protecting for a long while, at least on the field. Piers was the one who got him out of that wretched Town Hall in Edonia, who led Alpha Team flawlessly in his stead, who brought him back from amnesia, who saved him thrice from the clutches of Haos through his own selfless sacrifice. He had watched Piers grow and shine under his watch, and now Piers’ combat abilities are definitely far above his own.

He shook the thoughts from his head. Piers wouldn’t let him anyway. He would keep throwing himself in the way of any danger, and the best way to keep Piers safe probably would be to keep himself safe. He smiled, watching it reflect on his lieutenant. He suddenly has a very high target to chase if he wanted to stay an equal to his partner. Piers was regaining his form. That means that he needs to get his ass back to shape soon if he wanted to be out with him.

“You’re amazing Piers.” He settled for a kiss on the cheek, feeling the slightest of buzzes as flesh contacted flesh.

Piers gave a movement in his brow, as if he wanted to say something but instead smiled and savoured the touch. Strong as he may feel right now, he still considered his abilities short in the fight against the stronger and stronger classes of BOWs coming their way. Guns weren’t always the answer. Then what?

It’s not enough. He told himself. I need to be stronger.

Chris took a break to get dinner for both of them, and returned to quite a spectacle at the range. He heard Piers singing, and lightning flashed through the empty range in time with his beats.

 

_My power is arcing through the air into the ground_

_My soul is electrifying, to quake the world with blooming sound_

_And one thought pierces through the darkness like a bolt_

_I'm never going back, it's time for my revolt!_

_Let it go, let it go_

_When I'll rise like the break of dawn_

_Let it go, let it go_

_That perfect guy is gone!_

_Here I stand In the light of day_

_Let the storm rage on,_

_I'll shine brighter than the rest anyway!_

[author's note: Audio link at the end of the chapter]

He stood quietly, awestruck by the display of destructive power as Piers embraced his element. The targets were chipping apart and crumbled to a heap as bolts danced and pulsed from every fingertip. Piers was gasping towards the end though, and was visibly exhausted at the end.

With a contented but exhausted sigh, the ace stepped back, and Chris embraced him with a towel.

“Chris? You were there the whole time?" He stretched as Chris rubbed the towel over his sweaty body, slightly embarrassed his partner saw the display of song and dance. True to the words, he had pretty much let things go in his voice, his bioelectricity and rhythmic movements that he only did in absolute privacy.

“Don’t worry about it, ace.” Chris smiled, giving a small kiss on the lips and drawing a smile from the sniper. “Like you said, sometimes we just have to just let it go. You’ve trained hard though. How’s the bioelectricity?” He chose to trust Piers with his self-discovery. Better to have gotten to know his limits and power and choose not to use it than shunning it away and not being ready when it’s needed.

“It still feels strange, but it didn’t come with that almost paralysing pain like it used to, and theoretically I think I can channel it on any part of my body, but some are harder than others…” he said, wriggling his fingers. The sharper points had held and stabilised the charge much easier.

“Just take it slow, and don’t overburden yourself, alright?”

“I get extremely hungry, that’s all.” He smiled, checking out the takeaway boxes Chris had with him.

“Better eat then.” Chris helped Piers pack everything up and they retreated to the dining hall.

“Here’s to my ace getting fit for duty and more resourceful than before.” He clinked his glass of coke with Piers. Normally they'd settle for a beer or two, but Piers had insisted that they both stay dry for at least six months to counter the episodes at Edonia.

“Thanks Chris. How are your tests coming along?” Piers said, downing half the drink and getting started on the stir fried noodles from the box.

“I’m OK physically. Just have to keep my emotions in check on a mission and obey my orders. I mean, I’ve been doing this most of my life, I’ll find my feet. They need us out there.”

“Yeah, Moira is still out there, and Carla is loose on the prowl. I’m a bit worried. Carla must be up for something and we’re not ready. We need to get more teams in the region. Who knows what the hell they will unleash?

“We’ve got to trust our agents out there, that’s all.”

“Chris, maybe we need more than just the BSAA’s forces. Maybe we need conventional military too. You saw how bad it got in Edonia and that was only one state. I know we haven’t really deployed with local military and other UN peace keeping forces but perhaps we should at least consider the option?”

“I don’t know, the BSAA has things fairly tightly locked down. Until we confirm where Carla is we can’t just send a country’s forces there, they’ll think it’s a threat. We have in theory the UN peacekeeping forces but we still need volunteer forces from member states, that could take a while. With president Benford’s loss and the news going global about Lanshiang and Tall Oaks the world is on high alert. Don’t worry, I think every military is ready to go out to defend themselves when the need arises. The US has already sent carriers out to the West Pacific. The Chinese has their own on high alert.”

“Captain, then all the more we should get them to act preemptively. Imagine if another Haos escapes. All the forces in the world won’t be able to save us then.”

“I’ll let you talk to Jill about that, I’m sure she has thought about it and stressed over it and would appreciate your opinion. It’s hard for her to hold up the ship by herself.” Chris himself felt overwhelmed as the magnitude of the operations got larger and larger. He was comfortable on two man, four man and even 12 man missions. Now that they’re looking at squads and companies of troops going out he felt drowned out in scale, hoping that Jill, command and the other leaders have things planned out because he sure as heck doesn’t. Perhaps Jill was right. Perhaps Piers does have the aptitude and the big picture mentality to be groomed as a strategist rather than just another field captain.

“Besides, with how powerful the enhanced C-virus is getting- I’m worried for what Carla, what Subject C… what myself is capable of. I can feel that they aren’t just going to give up. Something is brewing. I don’t know if we can stop them, if I can stop them. How they hell are we going to fight something that shrugs off bullets?”

“I hear you. I spoke with Jill earlier with our weapons and R&D division at Europe HQ. Quint Cetcham and his team has been working hard with weapons to ward off C- virus based bioweapons along with some of Merah Biji’s plans based on her incomplete field trials. Things have been going well. He’s meant to see you soon to talk about designing something for you. If you’ve got any good ideas, he’s your man. Bit of a quirky character, but one of the best we have.”

Piers finished his box of noodles and started on another box, grateful that Chris bought extra food knowing his increased metabolism after training.

“Chris. I’m fine and in control now, but if I ever lose it—“

“Piers, you’ll be fine. You’re staying on our side OK?”

“…”

“No buts. It’s not an option. I know what I’ll have to do and it will have to be me. But you have got to hang on for our sake.” Chris grit his teeth, he really doesn’t want to think about it. Piers is a prepare for worst case scenario kind of guy, but he personally believes that _cometh the hour, cometh the man_ and that would always remain his style of leadership. He must believe in the impossible for the sake of his men. He knew firsthand in his entire military career the power of the will, the power of morale, the power of inspiration. This would be the one thing he will hang onto for Piers’ sake, even if he failed Finn, Andy, Carl, Ben. Even if he failed Marco.

“Always remember, the team’s got your back. I’ve got yours, Piers.”

“… I will. Captain.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did manage to record 'Let it go' with altered lyrics to reflect the lightning theme. Technically Frozen hasn't come out yet in the story's timeline but let's ignore that... 
> 
> You can listen [here](https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B64N_KoDYVNsTWpzZmVadGxhWWs/view?usp=sharing). it's on google drive because Soundcloud thinks my voice sounds like a famous singer's. It may take a little while to buffer but it's worth it. Altered lyrics and vocals by me. I used a youtube backing track.


	25. Mark the Targets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just what have Carla, Moira and Drake been up to? Their pursuers are close. Very close.

Hundreds of pairs of lifeless pupils gazed back at her, devoid of emotion.

Husband and wife. Mother and child. Families, communities, entire neighbourhoods, the whole town.

Staring at her.

Staring at their queen.

She likes to think it was in silent adoration.

She drew a deep whiff of the virus infused air, feeling the course of power and dominion over her subjects. Their lives had served a noble purpose.

She opened her eyes and gazed into the crowd, searching for and amalgamating the connection in the C-viral hive network of consciousness.

Bodies started collapsing from one end to another. Lovers fell, the protective clutches of parents lost their hold. There was no fear in the air. No panic. No struggles. Just silent acceptance of their fate. She stared passively as they fell. Perhaps it wasn’t the worst way to go.

The most humane way to go. Pink lips curled at the thought. She was doing them a favour. Better to go this way than live the panic and inevitable doom of the judgement day that is to come. Better to be part of something greater, so infinitely greater than what they could achieve on their own.

She threw her head back as power coursed through her being. Corpses started to turn into ash, the remaining patches of grey flesh on her body took on colour and life.

Soon it was just the children left. The tiny kindling of lights that were only realised when the greater lights had been snuffed.

She paused and stared at one of the little girls in a blue dress. She was no more than six or seven, a well-loved teddy bear still in arms, a red bow across her chin length black hair. That could have been her all those years ago. She too, had once been akin to the powerless little girl, offering herself as the sacrificial lamb to please one greater than her. For all her book smarts and research prowess, love had made her blind. Now she only saw love as manipulation. Perhaps love is manipulation. Perhaps manipulation is love. She is no longer what she was, the girl by the name of C--

She hissed and uttered a profanity as her mind retorted in equal parts pain and disgust, banishing the thought to the deep corners of her soul.

“Don’t you worry. You’ll join mummy and daddy soon.” The woman who called herself Ada Wong laughed, and gazed into her soul.

The teddy bear fell on the dirt as her owner crumbled with the wind. Like everything around here, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Love, memories were all soon forgotten.

She stretched herself, brought her palms in front of her face and laughed as she regained her physical beauty. She raised her palms towards the skies above. Ada Wong is back. Plan A is a complete success.

“Thank you for your kind sacrifice.”

If there was one thing lacking at the height of her perfection, it was an appreciative audience. She had gone this far, and none would appreciate her prowess. Simmons wasn’t here to fear her for her power, but she knew an acceptable substitute. One she enjoyed… _manipulating_. With any luck, he would show his face soon. Surely she had drawn enough attention to herself with the trail of destruction. She can’t wait for him to show up. It wouldn’t do justice for her to conquer her hardships after all, if there were no more mountains to climb, men to conquer and break. Worlds to shatter.

But I don’t need men. She reminded herself. I don’t need anyone. Except for amusement.

She didn’t know when she started enjoying the sight of bonds getting broken. The once tight knit Alpha Team turning against their own captain. The Captain against the advice of his own lieutenant. Lovers trying to outrun each other to escape from her infections, parents offering children as sacrifices. It reminded her that at the end of it, love truly was a façade.

It was time to rebuild her ultimate weapon. Time to remake that enhanced C-virus.

I’m waiting for you, _Redfield_. Show me what you’ve got, before I come for you.

* * *

 

Uneasy footsteps echoed through the small Neo Umbrella office they’re holed up in. With nothing else to do, Moira rummaged through the supplies again, retrieving her prize and getting the packet open after a series of crinkling noises. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t had her doubts and fears being among the infected, but once survival mode kicked in it was like back in the old hunting days, and she has much better food this time around.

“Can’t stop, can you.” Drake peered out from the makeshift punching bag he assembled from bags of rice, watching Moira pop another marshmallow in her mouth with a look of pure delight.

“I like sweets.” Moira said, cheeks full of fluffy sugary goodness. She took three, and forced herself to save the rest for later. She wondered what her next move was. She told herself she should escape and run for it while she still had a chance. Drake hadn’t seemed particularly interested in guarding her. Then again, she knew that Drake would only be too fast for her and stop her in her tracks as easily as a lion bring down prey even if she managed a solid head start. Still, it wasn’t like they needed her in the first place. The only reason she had for sticking around was hoping to pry more information about Neo Umbrella, but really she knew she wasn’t cut out for that, and was already getting in way over her head. She had also naively thought she could persuade Drake to abandon his cause and join _her_ , as wild as the idea could be. He has had none of it, but it hadn’t stopped her trying to instil some morals into him and get him thinking about his past.

“What was your favourite candy?” She asked, putting the bag back out of sight so she wouldn’t be tempted to demolish it all. Only one way to pass the time and twenty questions never got old.

“No idea. Marshmallows?” He squinted at the package. He didn’t remember a fondness for sweets.

“You’re just saying that because I’m eating it.”

“Favourite colour?”

“Never cared for colour. This black suits me well I guess.”

“Well, at least it goes well with pink.”

“Ever had a girlfriend?” She stared innocently to the sky blue pupils. Perhaps love could be the key to reawakening lost memories.

“Never needed one. Obviously I don’t remember anyone…” He shrugged, looking over Moira with narrowed eyes, then swung his gaze upwards, trying to recall anyone, anything. Did he ever have a girl waiting for him? He wasn’t sure. He didn’t remember a face, but he remembered feelings. Feelings of escaping after work with someone who waited for him. Someone with whom he could sit and chat about nothing, even if he never was one to talk much about himself. Much like they were doing now. Who was it? What did they look like?

He held a palm to his head and closed his eyes, giving his mind freedom to roam, but he was drawing blanks. Each time he thought he made out a shape he kept seeing Moira in his head. The pink and black hoody. The quiet copper brown eyes that always swim with a thousand unspoken words. That was silly. Of course it wasn’t Moira. They don’t even have a genuine connection nor did he want one.

Moira tried to think of what boys always talked about. She was getting nowhere and clearly asking about nail polish or pop songs from her favourite boybands wasn’t going to get her anywhere. Well, all the men in her life had one thing in common.

“Your preferred gun?” She hadn’t seen him use a firearm. Every move had been melee. “Do you use guns at all?”

Drake pondered the question as he examined the handgun he carried. He had mastery over it for sure, but he never felt it was much of his style. “This one I guess.” It wasn’t much more than a generic Neo Umbrella issued handgun, but the deadliness of a weapon was always first and foremost tied to the competence and accuracy of its user ahead of its own specs and power.

“I’m still amazed you fight so well, especially if the only training you remember having was what you picked up uh… weeks, months ago?” She smiled. “Any tips?”

Drake looked at his palms in front of him. He didn’t know how he got so good either. It must have been part of the projects, whatever they were. He was simply faster, stronger, better that everyone else. He could react fast, and either speed and strength alone would have been enough to make up for inexperience. Both together raised him above the elite echelon of fighters.

“It’s just how I am. I’m fast.” Drake said. “Tips? Be faster than your opponent. Not very helpful, I know.”

Moira just pulled a face. There are only so many hits one can get in with a crowbar per second. She’s no crazy agile combatant. Dodging slow moving afflicted is fine. She couldn’t even last more than a few minutes against Claire.

His phone buzzed. The first since the demolition of their Headquarters. Surprised, he stepped away to take the call.

“… yes. I made it out. No, I don’t think anyone else made it. N.No. She got away… Oh. Really? R.right.” He cast a worried glance at Moira and squinted his brows. “OK. I’ll join you right away.”

He dropped the call with a sigh, and looked at Moira with pity. She didn’t look back, pretending instead to read an ad on a Chinese newspaper.

“I better get you back… you’re too young to be involved in all this… I don’t think it’d work out for you in the long run.” He hesitated, holding the Neo Umbrella mask in his hand but not wanting to put it on.

“… try and stay out of trouble, OK? The next time you won’t be so lucky.” He didn’t know why he should care, but it was only fair. She was the only decent company he’s had ever since he had woken up. The only one who didn’t let his identity, rank or position get in the way of how she related to him. They probably both have many secrets still, but he knew the sooner they get away from each other, the better it would be for them.

“… what about you, Drake? This can’t work out for you in the long run either. If you ever want to… change direction, and try and find yourself, I’m sure someone can help at TerraSave…” She looked equally concerned for him, that her sphere of influence might have ended here, for good.

He shook his head slowly. His life was not his own. He couldn’t make a clean escape even if he tried. There would always be one who is his master.

Moira bit her lip. Seemingly in resignation and perhaps regret. “Just… think about what I said once in a while. You’re kinda OK, you know. For a baddie.” She gave a small smile.

He stiffened, seeing a light flash on the still functional security system of the office. Perhaps this was the escape he needed all along. Perhaps this was the escape they both needed, he from her, and her from him, from Neo Umbrella.

Moira’s eyes widened as he approached her silently. She had forgotten how tall and imposing he truly could be. Pale blue eyes shone with silent regret. Drake kept his face calm, but she could read unspoken emotions beneath his composure. The next instant she felt a sharp blow on the back of her neck, knocking her out for the third time in recent days.

“Goodbye, Moira. In another time and place, perhaps we could have been friends.” Drake said, finally tugging the mask back on his face. His true identity, his true purposes are to be realised soon.

As he bound up Moira his heart stirred with a sense of déjà vu. Has this happened before? He finally remembered the disappointment and helplessness as he once turned his back on someone pleading with him not to go down a path he had chosen. Ignoring her pleas as she was taken away from him by men in white coats with needles. Memories were not pleasant after all.

He trembled slightly looking at the slumped form of Moira. This is the last thing he can do for her.

* * *

 

The four agents were closing in on the likely location pinned down by Hannigan. Get Moira, get out, get back safely. That’s all they needed to do

“Claire, Sherry- you two look after Moira while Jake and I engage any hostiles. Moira is our priority. If needed you two get her away to safety first and we will regroup back at TerraSave.” Leon briefed them and made sure everyone understood their roles. He and Jake were the stronger combatants after all, and if Wesker- _any_ Wesker was still in the mix, the best they could do would be to make a full retreat and get everyone out unharmed.

Jake and Leon held their guns steady and exchanged a nod, kicking down the door together to the isolated office.

“Freeze!”

They pointed their guns and scanned their rooms as they went in, with Claire and Sherry covering their backs.

They approached quietly, noting the signs of inhabitants. There was one small office left.

Leon kicked down the door, and was greeted by the sight of a bound up Moira, handkerchief in her mouth, knocked out cold.

By her side stood a tall, imposing figure, Neo Umbrella’s mask on his face, dressed in all black.

For a moment all was silent as four pairs of guns pointed at him. He peered across the faces with an air of disinterest, settling his gaze on Jake. Jake glared back, and both sets of pale blue eyes formed a connection in the already tense atmosphere. Neither man flinched.

Leon took charge, putting shots between Wesker and Moira as he and Jake closed in to the attack, giving space for Sherry to retrieve Moira.

Thud.

Leon’s gun was knocked out of his hand and he took an elbow to his solar plexus. In that time Jake fired three shots, covering his partner as he recovered, but as the duo fought in hand to hand he could no longer aim well or risk a ricochet. He gestured for Sherry to clear the room with Moira, and he held his own fists up to fight Wesker two on one.

Fast.

Wesker was too fast. He easily threw two punches in the time they threw one, and every physical attack was hard and unforgiving. Still, Jake had trained himself hard with Chris and Leon. Despite taking his share of blows he wasn’t daunted, instead forcing himself to rise to the challenge, slowly trying to catch up to Wesker’s rhythm as Claire lined her scope looking for an opportunity. Still, it wasn’t easy for he and Leon to land anything, and they haven’t developed a complimentary style, often getting in each other’s way, but at times they were able to block or set up a shot for one another.

Surprisingly the small office did not make their job easier. Wesker was elusive as a fish in the ocean. A twist here, a shake there and he would be out of their grasp. It seemed he was toying with them, but he made no gesture to go after Moira while Sherry retreated and headed to the door with the bound girl, instead he gave a silent farewell stare, watching her withdrawn from his sight.

In that moment of distraction they finally cornered him. Leon jumped and threw both feet in a kick to Wesker’s chest as Jake blocked his escape from the side, leaving a line of sight for Claire. She held her breath, aimed steady and fired.

Four pairs of blue eyes remain locked on one another. This was it.


	26. The Uncertainty Within

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An exposition into Claire's insights.

Claire held her breath and forced her fingers to reload the bolt action rifle as fast as she could. Just a split second. That’s all she need.

Come on.

They all missed.

Jake barely deflected Leon’s kick on his arms as they shook the dust off their face, looking up in surprise and frustration. Wesker had launched himself through the ceiling in the nick of time.

“Claire, you two go and get Moira back first!” With a nod, Leon climbed onto Jake and bolted up to the ceiling, reaching a hand to pull Jake up with him.

“You guys take care!” Claire nodded, tossing Leon’s handgun back through the opening to the blond agent before grouping up with Sherry.

“Let’s move.” She took point, checking Sherry was ok to drag Moira on her shoulders and they made their way quietly back to the vehicle.

* * *

 

“Moira. Wake up!”

Caramel brown irises blinked open into the greenish blue of her mentor.

“Claire!” She sat up, wrapped herself in the comforting embrace and laid her head in Claire’s bosom, letting the familiar, almost maternal touch soothe her.

“There, there. We got you back.” Claire smiled, patting her back gently and Moira sighed her relief from panic and worry over the incident.

“We’re still at Tatchi?” Moira asked, seeing the familiar sight of the field hospital.

Claire nodded gently. “Yes, we thought we’d treat you here first, and later send you to the BSAA research base in China for a more thorough examination… in case… you know.” She looked over the spot where their bracelets once sat.

Moira shook her head. “I don’t think they injected anything, but who knows. I’d been knocked out for a while. I feel fine though, apart from the soreness.” She knew Drake wouldn’t needlessly harm her, and she had already forgiven him if she was found with her allies again. Perhaps he had intended to let her go all along and wanted to spare the parting, or the explanations.

Claire called the nurse over who made a note of the progress, and later brought a meal tray back and passed to Claire.

“I figured you must be hungry. We don’t have all your favourites here, but some warm oats might work.” She gave a reassuring smile, and Moira took the spoon and warmed her hands around the bowl.

Moira gave an appreciative sniff at the meal, taking in the scent of honey and warm bananas. Fresh produce is always a treat after having to survive on far less savoury means of sustenance.

“Thank Claire. I know I must have stressed you all out. I’m fine, really. Thanks for… for coming back for me, again and again.” She squeezed Claire’s hand as she tested the temperature and took a mouthful of porridge, grinning as the warm meal and sugar did its work on revitalising her spirits.

“Did they treat you ok? Did you suffer? Any torture? Interrogation?” Claire helped brush some of Moira’s black hair back behind her ears as she ate ravenously.

“No, they didn’t have time. Just a couple of standard questions. I said I was a college dropout trying to hide the fact and get away from dad. Place got bombed not long after I woke up…” She said, seeing Claire’ eyes widen.

“We were looking for you at Quad Tower, but we had to pull out when we know the place was targeted for bombing. I felt so awful… I didn’t know how to face Barry if we ever lost you again, after what we’ve both been through…” Claire rubbed her palm across Moira’s arm, seemingly relaxing in relief.

“I would have died at the building if he didn’t save me.” She said, taking another mouthful of porridge with a slight wishful smile.

“Oh?” Claire tried to keep it casual, even if her interest was undeniably perked.

“Well, he tossed us through the window from the third storey and got us away in the nick of time. Choppers were firing at us or something and knocked us out, but we made it through.”

“Then when I woke up he was dressing my cuts, and I punched him in the face.” She laughed at the memory. “You should have seen him then, the mask falling off and he stared at me quiet as a statue. He looked younger than I thought he was…”

“By him you mean…”

“The guy who called himself Wesker. Tall, wears black and Neo Umbrella’s mask. He…” She paused, looking into Claire’s eyes.

“… is everyone alright? Did he…”

“We all made it out fine. Leon and Jake are still trying to go after him but with his speed I don’t think we could catch him…”

Moira sighed. She didn’t know which side she was rooting for more and chastised herself for even wanting to side with the enemy. She chose to shrug it off. He had saved her life a few times, even if he got her into the situation in the first place. She busied herself with eating instead, not wanting to say too much about what she went through.

“He’s a tough fighter. Dodged bullets and most of Leon and Jake’s punches. Too fast. Too strong. Fights just like Albert Wesker.” Claire said. “We had no chance, even though we outnumbered him. He could have escaped any moment he wished, but still, the boys managed to distract him long enough to get you out.”

“Thanks guys. I appreciate it.” Moira gave an apologetic smile, suddenly feeling weary and hollow. She had wanted to be back all this time, and now that she was here, she felt as if her little adventure was over. Her new friend is gone, she probably wouldn’t see any more action in case anything happened, and if dad ever found out, he might lock her up for good and probably bust Drake’s balls, or try to anyway even if he was in the thick of Neo Umbrella’s protection.

“I...” Moira clutched her head, feeling her world suddenly go dizzy.

“Moira!” Claire grabbed the empty bowl before it had a chance to fall, and Moira rested back on the bed.

“Just… let me sleep a bit.” She managed a cough, taking in the comforting sight of her mentor’s blue eyes and fell asleep.

Claire checked her vitals with a light shake of her head, pulling the blanket up and tucking Moira in properly. She had many more questions, but maybe now wasn’t the best time to ask them.

The two of them were similar in so many ways. Emotional, impulsive and often hiding things in their hearts. Claire knew something was different. Moira wasn’t the chatterbox she normally was. Perhaps it was the tiredness and exhaustion. Perhaps it was something more traumatic. She’ll have to give her room to recover.

She stepped out of the room and gently closed the door, finding Sherry waiting in the hallway.

“Hey.” Claire greeted her friend, catching the slight gaze of worry and indecision on the blond agent. Her scarf was wound tight around her neck and she kept looking down the corridor.

“How is Moira?” They walked down the kitchen together with the empty bowl.

“She ate the porridge but fell asleep. Poor thing must have been exhausted. Seems OK though.” She rinsed the bowl and started fixing something for herself and Sherry.

“I’m glad she’s OK Claire bear. You must be so relieved now.” Sherry smiled.

“Any word from Leon and Jake?” Claire said, boiling water for some instant soup while heating the sandwich press.

“They’re still out. Leon wanted to get as far as he could before they lose the trail but I think they’re OK.” Sherry said, staring out into the night before busying herself with helping assembling the sandwiches.

“Hey. It’s OK. They’ll be OK.” Claire gave a smile as she gazed into Sherry’s eyes. “I know I don’t really practice what I preach, but don’t worry about Jake. Leon will do everything he can to look after him.”

“Yeah, I know there’s nothing to worry about, but I still can’t help but think about it. All the what ifs. I mean it’s been so many years since I had to worry about someone, but here I am, like that girl of 7 waiting for daddy’s return. I thought I dealt with all these thoughts, but nope, Jake brought them all back.”

“It just means your isolation hadn’t shut love from your heart.” Claire stirred the mugs and set them on the counter while Sherry sliced a block of cheese. “It’s only natural for us to be concerned about those close to us. After our parent’s accident I was the same. Chris was at the academy for weeks and I had to fend for myself. I know things are fairly safe but every time I knew he went flying or was out for more than a week my heart would go up in the air with him, and I’d have nightmares about falling and horror news reports. It’s not rational but we can’t always control it. It was because of my worrying about Chris that I went to Raccoon City and met you and Leon. You saw how I felt about Moira. I can’t really set an example of how to deal with it. But it’s normal. It means you care. It means he’s important.”

“Is this what being in a relationship is like?” Sherry asked innocently as the kettle boiled and she started making soup.

“Yeah. People always wonder how you know when you really love someone.” She said, putting the bread in the sandwich maker. “The answer is what you’re going through right now. If you like someone you’ll think about them when they’re not at your side. You’ll always be with them in your mind. You will always miss them until they return. Love is not always defined by what you feel when you’re around somebody. It is defined by what you feel when they’re not by your side.”

“I wonder how Leon does it. I mean, he surely must have lots of people in his mind. Or is it just us girls who always think of their partner?”

“Leon… I think there is but one true love in his life. The others are his way of dealing with those feelings. He knows better than anyone else who he is missing, but then again, she had never failed to show up every time he needed her either. Perhaps that is love too. That no matter what you say or tell yourself, or how far you run from somebody, your heart ends up acting of its own accord. Destiny puts you in the position to love or perish, or in Leon’s case, in Piers’ case, to perish in the name of love.”

“That sounds deep. So you mean it’s always Ada?” She asked, passing the plates for Claire to unload the toasted sandwiches.

“It started in Raccoon City. I was just a young innocent girl looking for her brother. Ada was strong, smart, mature, independent. She’s a fantasy come true for guys like Leon at that age.” Claire gave a laugh. It wasn’t like she hadn’t thought about Leon as a partner, but she treasured their friendship and bonds too deeply to risk anything. She also knew he and Chris had gotten close over the years, and she really prefers the way things are now. Leon will always have a spot for Ada in his heart.

“Like they always say, you try hardest for the ones you can’t have.” She shrugged.

“Do you think Ada will ever… give him a real shot?” Sherry said with a cheeky smile.

“When she’s freed from her mission I guess. None of us really know that much about Ada except she’s as involved in both bioterrorism and counter bioterrorism for as long as Chris and Leon have been. I mean, it’s stressful enough trying to evade the Chinese authorities for now having been framed for something you didn’t do, and to lookout for an old friend who gets headfirst into trouble. Ada hides it well, but as a woman, I know there must be many burdens and sorrows she buries in her heart. She’s an agent who had sacrificed a lot for her work, for her principles perhaps, whatever they may be. It takes a lot of guts to stand against Umbrella, Wesker, Simmons and all those powerful people. She’s the only one who did that and come out unscathed. Deep down I would say it was her way of looking out and sheltering Leon- to not drop her burdens onto him, because she isn’t always on the DSO’s side. You could call that a greater love, doing what is better for the one in your heart even if it makes life hell for yourself.”

“Yeah, Ada is an amazing. She saved me once too with her hookshot from a BOW.” Sherry sighed, thinking of earlier times. “Speaking of sacrifice, when you put it like that, it reminds me of Piers and Chris.”

“Oh don’t get me started on those two. Thank God they got to where they are now, but damn if my tragic hero brother doesn’t leave a trail of shattered hearts in his wake. I’m really, really grateful for Piers. He’s the only one who could crack Chris’ shell and get him to finally stand up to his feelings. They deserve every moment of happiness they share.” Claire smiled wistfully. Of all people, she wanted Chris to be happy. He had neglected and sacrificed his personal life for too long. He had already given too much by being the hollow warrior and champion against bioterrorism, a clause that had almost cost him everything he held dear. Every time she sees Piers she was grateful that her burden is shared by one who loves her brother so truly and sincerely as herself. Perhaps even more. Exceedingly more, given the events in Edonia, given what had happened as of July 1st.

Sherry nodded. “Piers is a strong soldier. He has an inner strength that I haven’t seen in anyone else. The way Chris accepts him the way he is despite his mutation, his virus, his arm... That gives me hope that we have a chance. That virus or not, we are still human, still worthy of love and affection-”

“Yo Supergirl. Don’t go hating on what makes you so awesome.” The door opened unapologetically and the pair of tired agents entered. Grimy, battered and exhausted, but at least in good health and good spirits.

“I’m starving here. Got anything for us?” Jake said, walking up to Sherry and bending down to greet her with a quick peck and side hug. Sherry got up, stuffing the plate of uneaten grilled cheese to his hands while trying to make another for Leon.

“How long have you been listening?” Claire looked at Leon suspiciously.

The two men exchanged an awkward stare. Leon shrugged nonchalantly. “Looks like we have a philosopher and relationship counsellor in our midst.”

It was Claire’s turn to be embarrassed. Girl talk was one thing, making comments on the personal lives of others weren’t usually her style. It was only because they were all so close to each other, and that she rarely had a good listener like Sherry at her side with whom she could air out some thoughts.

“Hey, don’t worry about it, I’ve learnt a few things. Confirmed a few things rather.” Leon connected his gaze with Claire and gave a nod of appreciation.

The two old friends swapped a mysterious smile and Claire got up too to brew Leon his coffee while the boys wind down and appeased their famished appetites. After the exhausting search for the past week, they all deserved a little rest.

Leon’s phone buzzed.

“Leon Kennedy.” He stepped out with excitement, a smile finally breaking out on his face.

“How goes the hunt?” The familiar voice rang in his ears.

“We got Moira back but lost Wesker. He was last seen at this particular location.” He updated her with the coordinates.

“That’s comforting news. We’ll keep tracking his movements, you boys and girls just relax and play nice now.”

“I owe you one, Ada.”

“Don’t mention it.”


	27. Troubling Times

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In a coastal town of Bangladesh, Sheva, Parker and Raymond finally locates Carla.

Sheva’s heart grew heavier and heavier as they chased through village after village for Carla Radames. So many lives had been lost. Every silent, desolate town reminded her of Kijuju, reminded her of the plant that her parents worked at. Entire communities have been devastated.

She sighed, picking up a lonesome teddy bear sitting by itself among the empty surroundings. Parker’s scanner was beeping like mad.

“They were all gathered here. Hundreds. Now gone.”

Sheva gazed at the toy and gave a soft squeeze. It was well worn, well loved. It was important, and probably had meant the world to the little girl for her to have held on till the end.

She said a quick prayer for the girl, for the family, for the village. It wasn’t as if she hasn’t seen devastation, but her heart would never be desensitised from the pain and empathy of losing loved ones. She will never forget the day when smoke poured out of the factory where her parents worked, the long night when they never returned. As an eight year old, all she had was a carved wooden toy zebra that she kept with her even to her uncle’s place, a toy zebra that she kept even when she ran away. It was her last connection to her parents. It was her last reminder that she was loved, that she was capable of loving _something_ , even if it was little more than a toy.

It was partly why she had warmed to Chris so much when he decided to show up in a black and white zebra print safari suit one day. He was a man who could feel. A man who, like the day of her epiphany, took the chance to fight for something that goes beyond oneself, someone who chose not to walk away when so much is at stake.

“Get us to her, Parker.”

They followed the signal from the scanner, crossing the border into Bangladesh and updating their location back to command for them to help plot and narrow the destinations.

It was no easy task, but as the scale of Carla’s activities and modus operandi became deductible they made better progress closing in. How much power Carla had gathered, what were her true intentions? What would they be up against? Surely she wasn’t going to go on foot and eliminate village after village forever?

They followed the fresh trail in the mud, entering into a coastal town. It was evening, and yet there were few lights lit. Have they been too late again?

They scouted a vantage point from one of the taller buildings and hid themselves out of view, looking to where the townsfolk were gathered.

Parker checked the scanner. It indicated traces of the infected from the pier. Sheva scanned the surrounds with her binoculars, searching for their target in the fading light while Raymond updated his partner with intel.

“I see her!” She scanned the raven haired menace, seemingly meditating on the pier. She felt a surge of adrenaline. Surely they can get a headshot from here.

“I think we can get her!” She lined her rifle with Parker. They can shoot first, talk later.

Raymond kept watch as both agents aimed their sights at the figure. They held their breath and fired at once.

The figure stayed still, and they watched with anticipation as the bullets struck their target, splattering the pier with drops of blood. Not wanting to leave anything to chance, they reloaded and fired again.

Raymond couldn’t believe it. That which he had stalked across South East Asia had met her end by a pair of BSAA agents. Only fitting, perhaps.

His relief was cut short when he spotted a horde of infected drawn by the shots and were closing in on their position, fifty or more in number.

“We better hole up somewhere.” He said, retreating from the windows and leading them up towards the roof.

They picked off what they could in their retreat, felling most of the slow advancing undead with bullets and headshots. All the local residents they had failed to save.

“Duck!” Parker grabbed Sheva and pulled her out of the way as a bloodshot suddenly launched at them. The slow tempo of the infected was broken. More and more bloodshots darted among the trio, leaping left and right.

Parker grabbed one mid leap and swung it in the air, using it as a makeshift projectile to intercept another, hastily stomping them down while they lie vulnerable. Raymond was doing likewise, waiting opportunistically for kicks to the head while Sheva parried blows with her knife.

“Fuck.” Raymond tossed a grenade down the stairs as another wave of bloodshots swarmed the room. The building shook slightly as it went off and they could hear their dying wails.

“It’s just the beginning.” Parker said, hearing the footsteps of something heavy coming their way.

They heard laughter as enraged bloodshots clawed their way from the wall onto the rooftop. The trio stook back to back, trying to dodge their lunges and countering their moves with their combat knives. It was only a narrow window between an evade and deep trouble, and they were starting to get overwhelmed as the opposition grew in number.

“Sheva!” Parker noticed his partner was in trouble when three bloodshots lunged for her at once. She ducked the first, elbowed another out of the way, but the last was clawing at her throat. She tried to flip it on her back, but she was losing strength from the hold.

He kicked the nearest bloodshot away and hacked at the one attacking Sheva with his axe, splattering both of them with fluids as Raymond fired shots to clear the surrounding space. Parker helped Sheva up as more infected leapt onto the rooftop, closing in like swarms of insects drawn to light. The formed a circle around them, but stopped charging for the moment, instead slowly crowding around the three agents.

“Looking for me again?” The cool voice haunted the night air from the adjacent building. The same hooded figure that had fallen on the pier with no trace of the wounds. It was too optimistic to have thought she’d die from that.

“It’s her!” Sheva said.

“Had you found me a week ago, you might have stood a chance.” She was guarded by half a dozen Napads, smiling in spite and her hair swaying in the wind. “Where is your Captain Redfield?” She said, looking around for her relentless pursuer, half disappointed that he hadn’t made his usual appearance. Did Haos finally take him down?

“We’re here to put an end to this now.” Parker said, aiming his gun at Carla.

“You already saw your bullets did nothing. Let’s see how you fare against my horde.” She stepped behind the hulking Napad and at once the bloodshots around the agents closed in. Unlike before, they were now fighting with coordination as a unit, advancing steadily despite gunshots.

The agents put their back against the roof trying to halt their advances. Bloodshot were flying in waves, the first wave barely making space while the second leaped. This was not going well. Sheva showered the space with shotgun shells, clearing and knocking out the ones near her, but the gap easily filled with more units.

Raymond hurled a flash grenade, stunning everything surrounding them and they used the opportunity to disable as many as they could, smashing their skulls, joints, stabbing them in the chest while they recoiled from the blindness. It seemed even Carla had lost control, and they held still for the slaughter.

“Come on!” Raymond took the break to check his PDA and leaped to an adjacent building in the cluttered district. Maybe getting out of Carla’s sight would diminish her control of the situation. They’ll need backup and fast.

They held the path between the two buildings, Parker trying to deflect as many bloodshots they could to the chasm between them while Sheva dealt with the rest, giving Raymond time to coordinate their location.

Parker couldn’t stop the Napads jumping the buildings. They have a surprisingly wide leap given their weight. One had already made it across, threatening to clear the way for the rest. Its armored bulk clearly gave it the upper hand against the seasoned BSAA agent.

“Watch it Parker!” Sheva unloaded her shotgun to the carapace from the back as Parker narrowly avoided a heavy fist. The Napad roared as its armor cracked, its erratic hook launching Parker to the air, and he only just managed to grab onto the ledge with a hand.

“Parker!” Sheva distracted the Napad and tried her best to give them room as Raymond headed to the edge, reaching a hand to pull Parker up. A bloodshot had found its way to Raymond however, threatening to topple all three of them over the edge.

“I’m not letting go Parker!” He could see the determination in his eyes as Raymond hung on, trying his hardest to pull him up. The bloodshot squeezed him around the hip, threatening to tip them all over.

The bloodshot launched a tear inducing fist into Raymond’s abdomen and he lost his strength.

“No!” Parker felt the sensation of falling, and he saw the fear and regret in Raymond’s eyes as his arms slipped.

This was not happening again. The image flashed across Parker’s mind of Chris and Jill staring at him with agony, regretful they couldn’t pull him back up the ledge on the Queen Zenobia. It was a scene that often woke him in nightmares, and he vowed never to let down his partners again.

He reached to his belt and threw a retractable grapple hook over the ledge, sighing in relief as it made a satisfying clink on the wall and caught his weight. He quickly began his muscle up, and at moments like these he was grateful to have shed those extra pounds he used to carry, finally making it back over in time to save Raymond from being bitten.

They now both owe Quint Cetcham another drink for his contraption.

He panted, seeing Sheva dart and tumble, buying time for them between three Napads on the rooftop and the laughter of Carla Radames nearby.

“How’s that backup, partner?” He called, aiming his rifle at the exposed flesh of the Napad to give Sheva a breather.

“Damned show off is always late.” Raymond cursed as he checked his comms. “Just hold on.”

Carla meanwhile gathered the crowd of infected by her side, and in between bouts of fighting Raymond saw the infected fall to their knees and disintegrate, while Carla’s form surged in power, her laughter rising. Her form became shrouded in smoke, and for a moment Raymond almost swore he saw two outlines, but Carla’s figure was completely shrouded, and by the time he had another break in combat both were gone. Instead, shrieks screamed in their ears as another wave of bloodshots and Napads arrived.

They were backing up- retreating to a corner of the roof as their free space becoming more and more limited while the BOWs gathered menacingly. Picking up the noise of the aircraft in the distance, Parker threw a grenade to the crowd, checking the position is sound then signalled for the Sheva and Raymond to clear out.

Raymond shot a flare into the sky as the grenade went off, collapsing part of the roof.

The pounding rounds of a gatling gun filled their air as an attack helicopter finally caught up with them. Raymond signalled with his torch as a ladder was lowered, and the three climbed up before the horde closed in.

“She’s down on the left by the big chimney” Sheva said, scanning through her binoculars

“Let’s see how she fares against this.” The helicopter co-pilot smirked and pressed a button to fire a missile at the locked down target.

“The militants are closing in on the city, we better get out before the real big guns arrive. Let them deal with this mess.” She said and they escaped towards their backup location.

“What took you so long, partner?” Raymond snarled, nursing a bruised shoulder. “Any later and you might as well write us off!”

“Makes for a more satisfying climax when you build it up minute by minute.” She said, giving a slight smile. “Besides, money talks, but negotiation takes time. The corruption business gets harder every year, even in countries like this one.” The snide voice was rolling each syllable with sultry seduction in a way that made Sheva cringe, exchanging a glance with Parker.

“Jessica, is that you?” Parker asked, squinting to make out the co-pilot’s silhouette as night fell.

Clear laughter rang out from the cockpit. “Missed me already, old friend?”

“I guess now we’re even.” Parker shook his head in resignation, watching the dark waters fly by as Sheva began contacting their local BSAA teams for a report.

“HQ, this is Sheva Alomar. Parker and I have joined up with Raymond Vester and we are leaving ground zero at Bangladesh. Local military are closing in on the town, there are no survivors. Carla Radames has been sighted. She is alive and expected to survive the bombing.

“We copy. Take care out there, Sheva. Stay near the front. We’ll be in touch for new orders.” Chris’ voice rang through the comms and she finally smiled and relaxed. Things would be alright.

* * *

 

“We have a confirmed sighting of Carla.” Jill said as Chris put down the radio and marked the locations on the satellite maps.

“Colonel, we need to go after Carla.” Piers said, forwarding the coordinates to the local teams and catching Chris’ eye. He has been spending time with Jill on operational support while Chris offered tactical advice, leaving the strategic level decisions to Jill and the rest of command.

“Ada Wong has confirmed and provided intel regarding Neo Umbrella’s facility in the region.” Jill said. “Perhaps we can let Carla consolidate her resources first and catch them all there? Besides, it isn’t too far from the location which Sheva spotted her.”

“What if she deploys all the caches of bioweapons there? It would be too late. I think it’s better to bomb the base pre-emptively and deny her a place for further operations. She can’t be on the run forever!” Piers said.

“Yes but from Parker and Sheva’s intel she didn’t need a base. She’s attacked 5 villages in the last week! Clearly she is a walking bioweapon.”

“Casualties so far are in the thousands, Captain. Tatchi was tens of thousands.”

“It would be impossible to find Carla again without a base! Besides, the larger towns are probably better protected with Anti-C. That was why she kept going for the remote villages right?”

Jill twirled a pen in her fingers as the two men discuss their options. She could see it working either way. The truth is, if Carla is as powerful and capable as she was then base or no base she isn’t going to be stopped. She took a moment to gather her thoughts after studying everything she could about Carla and her patterns.

Carla was a woman first, a researcher second and a monster last. Her plans are elaborate and extensive, and she always had fail saves. The ‘why’ of her plans don’t always make sense, but the ‘what’ of them do. Against an enemy like that, it was always better to take away options- cut down her plans and her resourcefulness will decrease.

She tapped her pen on the map. “We’ll take out the facility. Ultimately the BSAA is about protecting the civilians. Carla can’t hide forever. Giving her a base and a lab will only make the attacks stronger. I’d rather play gruella warfare than trade bases with her.” She finally made up her mind.

“Oceania team is on standby and can deploy at daylight Colonel. Their Alpha and Delta Teams should be able to handle it.” Piers said. “Since Carla already alerted local military forces we could set up joint operations.”

“Colonel…” he added, exchanging a look with Chris.

“I’m sorry Lieutenant, I can’t deploy you two out there.” Jill shook her head.

“We’ve both worked with Oceania branch before…” Piers expected the answer, but he still wanted to give it a shot.

“…so you should trust their capabilities. Sheva and Parker should be fine to oversee this operation.” Jill said, staring at Chris until he shrugged in defeat. If he can’t go with Piers then the next best thing was knowing that Piers will be safe for another day.

“Alright then.” Piers rubbed his cheek with his finger trying to think of a better way to apprehend Carla. “Let’s hope Sheva, Parker and the others can keep hunting her and shut it down.”

"What do you think of them teaming up with Raymond?" Chris asked.

"Personally I regard Raymond's abilities highly, and I understand he helped Sheva and Parker this time. However the BSAA can't work with unknown or rogue agents. That's too dangerous, this operation must be BSAA only. What if they want to steal another sample?" Jill asked, squinting at the map in frustration.

"I'm with you on that, especially if Jessica is involved again." Chris sighed. "We'll make it clear."

Jill’s radio buzzed, and she took another call.

“Guess who just arrived. Let’s give our guests a deserving welcome.”


	28. Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Moira and Claire are welcomed back to the BSAA base with some very important intel that shook everyone. Chris and Piers catch up for a tender moment.

The trio waited at the helipad as it descended, feeling the wind blowing full force in their face as it landed and finally came to a stop.

“Chris! Piers!” Claire was the first to disembark, running forward and meeting Chris in a bear hug. Behind her, Moira came out meekly, smiling and greeting Jill with an embrace.

“Piers! Your arm!” Claire went on to hug Piers and was totally surprised that he was in uniform and back to his old self. She grabbed his shoulders and gently patted it down, grasping his fingers with her own in wonder. She smiled and kissed Piers on his cheeks.

“Oh my goodness! I can’t believe you overcame this! Chris! He’s healed!” A tear ran down her face, but she didn’t care, grabbing everyone into a giant circle hug and losing herself in a moment of pure infectious joy.

Chris was grinning even more broadly watching over the proud form of his lover. “Yes, Piers is back. He’s a fighter alright, only he can come back from something like that.”

“Surprise!” Piers smiled. It was perhaps several beats too late, but he was touched that Claire had cared so much about him, that she was so happy in his victories.

Moira stepped up with a mildly reddened face and also gave Piers a hug. “I’m really glad it worked out for you both!”

“Hey Moira, I’m so happy you’re back with us too, we’ve been worried about you.” Piers smiled and patted her on her back.

“Yeah, Barry’s going to bust my ass otherwise.” Chris stood straight and gave her the older brother lecture, messing her hair in his hand. “Better take care out there next time Moira.”

“Now, now, poor girl had suffered enough.” Jill said, leading Moira by the hand to a private dining room. “I believe our guests are hungry after the flight, and we should catch up.”

“I’ve decided to send Moira up here so she can get a full check up with the team. We don’t know if she is safe or if she has been exposed to anything.” Claire said. “In any case, she would be a lot safer here under your supervision and security.”

“You’re not keeping me here for good right? Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to spend time with Chris and Piers, but I can still be useful….” Moira complained gently, eyes pleading with Claire.

“Don’t you worry Moira, there’s plenty I can have you help me with around here. Chris and Piers can only do so much,” Jill said, reassuring her old family friend. “Maybe Barry can drop by and say hi! He sent a parcel for you too actually, but we’ve kept it till you made it back. I’ll get it sent to your room.”

“Oh!” Moira squirmed thinking of her overprotective father. “It’d be nice to see him, but he doesn’t have to go out of the way or anything.” She busied herself with food instead.

“So we already updated you about her kidnap and rescue so we won’t bore you with the details. We do have news though. Moira was also the only one who has seen Subject C.” Claire said. “Her intel could be useful.”

Moira took a sip of water and set her utensils down. “I didn’t know who he was at first!” She said. “It only came together after I was rescued. I woke up this morning in my room when I heard voices outside. I thought… I thought I was back again…” She looked up at Claire.

Claire nodded in encouragement as they both recalled the scene earlier that day.

* * *

 

“Feeling better, Moira? Let’s get some breakfast. The others are up already.” Claire poked her head in the doorway.

“Yep, I’m good, lead the way.” Moira followed after her into the dining area.

“Hey Moira! I’m Leon.” He was the first to greet Moira. They haven’t really had a chance to meet and they shook hands. She turned to greet the other pair involved in her rescue.

“Hi Moira, this is-“

“Drake!!” Moira froze as she looked the man up and down. “What are you doing here? You…” She froze, took a breath and swallowed as she studied the man and his demeanour. No, this was a man so similar to Drake, but different. Drake was older. Perhaps not in looks, but in composure and attitude. There was a twinkle of something in his eye that this man lacked. Neither did Drake have have the scar on his left cheek.

“… I’m sorry. I…” she saw the confusion across the man and his blonde companion and turned to Claire, who inhaled sharply, and continued her introduction.

“This is Jake Muller and Sherry Birkin, also from the DSO.”

“… Jake Muller?” She mouthed the semi familiar name Claire and her fellow operatives often muttered. “Did you know… Wesker?”

At the mention the name shook everybody. Jake took a step back and Sherry stepped between them to intervene. Claire and Leon exchanged a glance, brows furrowed but in understanding.

“Moira, have you seen someone… who looks like Jake?” Claire asked, trying to keep her voice calm and steady.

Moira looked up to the tall figure, he stood easily a head and a half taller than her, staring back plaintively in acceptance as she studied every facet of Jake’s appearance. Shortly cropped hair, pale blue eyes, a high, thick brow line, the tall, lean, powerful build. Drake and Jake were so alike they were almost the same person.

Just like Carla and Ada, from what she’d heard.

She silently nodded. “The spitting image.”

Sherry gripped Jake’s palm tightly as a flash of annoyance and uncertainty flickered across his face.

“So it’s true.” He said, after composing himself. “I have a doppelganger out there.”

He sounds exactly like Drake too with that American accent.

* * *

 

“It came as a bit of a shock,” Claire said, taking a deep breath before breaking the news. “Turns out that Carla did indeed clone a Wesker.”

“A-dot Wesker?” Chris gripped his armrest while Piers tried to calm him with a touch on his forearm.

“A Wesker. Jake Wesker.” Claire said.

There was a collective intake of breath around the table.

“It’s ironic.” Moira said. “I gave him a name so he wouldn’t have to be known as Wesker, but nothing has changed.”

“He answers to you name?” Claire asked. This was definitely news to her. Moira’s influence seemed deeper than it seemed.

“I called him Drake.”

“So. Carla cloned Jake.” Perhaps it was because he had never personally encountered the previous Wesker, but Piers was the first to pull it back together, thinking of the implications. “Let’s see. Six months at the facility, as much primary genetic material as she needed, recipient of a special blood type that can resist most, including C-viral infections. Proven fighter, young, healthy and enough test data about his physiology and psychology. By cloning Jake they’ve got his own blood type and antivirals…”

Chris followed his train of thought. “Sheva said Excella sold Wesker’s progenitor virus and serum to Carla. She must have incorporated it to his conditioning!”

“Yes, I’ve fought Subject C twice now, he can dodge bullets and most melee hits Chris. He’s almost as fast as Albert Wesker. Leon and Jake combined still couldn’t take him down.” Claire said.

“He had never injected himself with anything in my presence either.” Moira said. It made her feel uneasy talking about Drake, and it was a hell of a confusion waking up and staring into Jake, who was on _her_ side. She was distraught, and finally knew why Chris, Leon, Piers and everyone else were so confused about Carla and Ada when it seemed so obvious in hindsight.

“He was fine. I don’t know Jake that well, but they looked really alike. Their voices are similar too. Unlike Jake though, he didn’t have a scar on his left cheek, so at least that’s one way to tell them apart…” In a way, she was glad to fly up here. She felt very awkward being around Jake, especially given he and Sherry were already a pair. She’d rather not face it, but at the same time she didn’t want to withhold any information to keep her friends safe. Drake was capable. Too capable, and he still had no remorse or concern about Neo Umbrella’s activities.

“Moira, thanks for that. That is important intel.” Jill said. “At least we can prepare a bit for what we’re up against, especially if he is Carla’s top agent as you say.”

“Captain, how are we going to fight another Wesker? She has Jake’s blood. That means she can experiment and make even more viral strains with Jake!” Piers said.

Chris just furrowed his brows deeply in thought, lost for plans.

“Jake didn’t want to believe Moira initially, but he fought with the guy extensively. They are the same size. Carla would have had six months if not more to work on cloning him. Jake said he couldn’t catch up to his speed no matter how hard he tried.” Claire said.

“This guy, Drake has been conditioned with the progenitor virus.” Piers said. “Obviously Jake’s blood can take it fully…”

“Doesn’t mean he should.” Chris said sternly. There’s no way Jake should go down Albert’s path. On the one hand he’s relieved that it wasn’t an Albert doppelganger- he wouldn’t want any more reminders of his old captain, but on the other hand this mean Jake’s getting involved heavier and heavier. If Subject C ended up like Carla then Jake would have allegations of bioterrorism himself.

Everyone busied themselves with food at that point and silence filled the room.

Jill finally spoke up. “It’s getting late now, but let’s get your appointment booked in for tomorrow. We’ll check that you’re ok soon as we can round up the team.”

“Alright.” Moira nodded reluctantly.

* * *

 

“Piers.” They were winding down for the night. Chris held his partner close, staring into his eyes.

“What’s up Chris?” Piers leaned in and rested his head on Chris’ broad shoulder, trying to soak into the feeling of security in his arms despite a slight tinge of worry in his mind about the impending events.

“Nothing. Just reminded of what a treasure you are.” He rubbed his palm up and down Piers’ back, feeling the slight poke of the hardened spikes against his neck, the weight of Piers’ head on his shoulders. He liked being relied on, he always thought Pier’s head fitted so perfectly on the contours by his side and across his body.

Piers closed his eyes for a moment, taking in Chris’ scent and finding a hint of security. “I don’t know why, but I am worried, Chris.” He sighed. He was feeling vulnerable even in the safest place of Chris’ embrace.

“Still Carla?” Chris looked up, worry lines wrinkling his forehead.

“As always.” Piers said. There’s no doubt about it. The enhanced C-virus is powerful. If he got to his level of ability with it, how much further would the original researcher and creator of it be?

“Piers, I hear you. Just trust in the others. You can’t do everything yourself.” Chris said.

“Says our highest volume mission volunteer.” Piers busied himself brushing the lengths of dark brown hair across the back of Chris’ forearms as they lie on the bed side by side.

“I know, once upon a time I had this unrealistic belief that I could do everything. I could save one more, I could make a bigger difference on the operation, and I liked to believe I did. Sometimes I could make a big difference. It felt great. However I also realised over the years that I can’t do everything. There were plenty of missions that I didn’t join that went fine. Heard so many stories from other operatives who pulled through what I didn’t think I could. It was at that point that I decided my focus shouldn’t always be on missions, but on our people, because anyone could go down fighting any day. I lost Jill once. Almost lost Parker and Sheva. Lost you for a short period of time. Merah, Marco, and Alpha Team- we trained these guys, they’re as prepared as they could, some of the best of what we had, but we still lost them. I still ache for their loss as you do, but what is important is that we don’t give up our hope, our ideals, our beliefs that we need to keep the fight against bioterrorism and that we can overcome. Having you this last month was more than I ever hoped for since the first of July. If I go out fighting I’ve made my peace- I can go out knowing that other operatives will rise in our place and keep the world safe.”

Piers held Chris tightly in his arms, hungrily breathing in his scent, feeling the hulking muscles burning against his own as he laid his head on his chest, roaming his hands across the combat sculpted body. Some call it hedonism, indulging in the moment instead of preparing for the future, but in the face of imminent danger, there is no better time than now.

“Mmm...” Chris groaned appreciatively and reciprocated the touch, slipping his hand under Piers’ t-shirt and appreciating the firmness and strength of every body part, working his hands around and removing their shirts.

“Chris, I want you tonight.” Piers said with a husky voice, kissing Chris’ collarbone, lying chest to chest, rubbing his hips gently. He was hard like he couldn’t believe.

“Anytime, Piers.” Chris gave a light rubbing of Piers’ hair and held still while Piers took both their pants off with impatience, fondling his bulge slowly as they both stood at attention.

Chris moaned at Piers’ insistent touch, feeling the invasion of slicken fingers between his legs. He huffed as his hardness was welcomed in an opening of soft tenderly warmth, the centre of his strength held ransom to a playful flicker.

“Ahhh fuck!” He grunted as warmed lips clamped over his tool and glided its way down, wanting to buck his hip and yet feeling so powerless at the continued pleasure. He heard Piers slurp him down and he squeezed his eyes shut, feeling waves of unimaginable pleasure radiate from his groin to his brain.

Thick thighs rested on bulky shoulders. Ten fingers held the esteemed flute as glistening flesh and slimy muscle tongued the most delicate bell on the perfect body.

Chris moaned. His breath leaving a trail of humiliating hisses and heaves. Caught in the dilemma of wanting more but not being able to withstand the friction, the teasing, the waves of primal urges that provoked his masculinity for the fruit of his loins.

A warmed palm cupped his jewels and caught him in a playful squeeze. The tongue trailed down his root and slurped at his danglers, the warm orifice stealing the orb into its caverns and wrapping it in eternal warmth. Provoking him, threatening him, relieving him.

Long slender fingers slicked across the head, the little V of skin that has Chris gasping and falling on a rollercoaster ride. Heated fingers trailed behind the heavy sack, pushing their way through the dusting of hair to the base of his cock. The lightest of sparks pressing with pressure to his taint…

“Ahhh!!” The unexpected assault jolted Chris and his cock reared in reflex, poking Piers’ chin and earning a laugh. Chris clenched himself, trying to recover from the jolt that almost toppled him over, the mixture of pleasure and pain that stole his breath and drew his balls up.

He panted, demanding with his voice for Piers to do it again, and again, and the trigger finger played at the seat of power on Chris’ taint, tapping an irregular rhythm of pulsatile pleasure that set him on fire from root to tip. It stang, but also brought so much pleasure.

“Piers!” A brief warning. Heavy panting and impatient hands holding Piers’ head to his pleasure.

Firm grip of his shaft at the base, a prod of the warmth between his thighs, the rubbing of Pier’s nose on his pubes and Chris reached his unquenchable zenith.

“Fuckkkkk!” His entire body spasmed as he arched his back slightly, feeling the powerful contraction grip him from the root of his cock, the familiar jolt of pleasure rushing over all of his being as jet after jet of white heavy spunk painted over his partner. Chris lost himself in time and space as he rocked the bed with his orgasm, shooting every last ounce of desire and dominance onto the creamy flesh before him.

Piers lapped the hard pole before him lightly, the heavy breathing and grunts of his Captain still feeling the air. He swallowed, treasuring the bittersweet taste of his partner to his memory, basting the milky white traces over the veins and definitions of Chris’ mighty organ, kissing the angry red tip with his own pink tender lips, squeezing along the barrel to drain out the last precious drops of Chris’ essence. He gave an appreciative sniff, wiping drops of cream off his face with lustful eyes as Chris watched with pride. This is him loving his Captain. This is him doing whatever it takes to make Chris happy. Here in the room where two hearts are one, there is no barrier between two men who share their lives and every part of their body openly.

Chris pulled his partner close to his side, swimming in the euphoric afterglow from Piers’ affection. He ran appreciative fingers along Piers’ back, feeling the sniper shudder and moan softly as he stroked down his spine. They kissed, a slow, tender, sloppy kiss of gratitude and appreciation. He has had sex before, but everything with Piers was beyond sex. It was beyond a pleasure, or who gets off this time. It was beyond love, beyond feelings even. It was simply a state of being. It was part of them, part of two men who are joined in heart and soul and mind and strength. In moments where they genuine connect like this there was no fear or anxiety or self-doubt. Instead it was a feeling that everything is right, everything will go right, and that this experience will seem them through no matter what else may happen.

He looked with sparkling eyes, as if straight into Piers’ soul with his gaze, a silent demand as he pulled the strong lithe body close. He sniffed in Piers’ scent dearly, tasting the light sheen of sweat on his chest, gliding his fingers down his back and squeezing the impossibly perfect butt that fit so perfectly in his palms.

“Yesss.” Piers hissed as he clenched and moaned, raising his head as Chris hungrily sucked the flesh of his neck, marking his soulmate with love and adoration.

Piers’ hands travelled down his torso and gripped the muscular thighs, testing their firmness, then in turn he groped Chris’ firm posterior, giving an appreciative moan at the heat, the warmth, the irresistible sweetness and tanginess of Chris and he simply couldn’t resist. Chris shifted, and Piers felt lubricated hands painting over his shaft, coating every inch of his neglected arousal with slimy preparation, squeezing over his sensitive jewels with affection and teasing.

“Oh yeah.” He moaned at the firm touch that got him so hard, feeling the hungry hands draw him to the warm place, and he strengthened himself, gave a groan of appreciation and rubbed himself across the inviting entrance.

Both men groaned as flesh contacted flesh. Piers worked himself up and down around the alluring den, getting both of them ready for a second encounter.

“Ahhhhh” His face was in ecstasy as he sank himself in, feeling the impossible warmth and acceptance of his Captain open before him, taking him to the depths. He sank himself down, every inch was bring forth greater pleasure than the last and they finally joined at the hip, the demanding touches of his Captain holding him there, locking him in, unwilling to let him go.

They panted like fish gasping for air on the shore, feeling the gentle ripples of pleasure as Chris accommodated his length. It was wicked, sinful, but oh so right as he began the withdraw, and he couldn’t help but vocalise his delight as he sank himself back in. This is where he always belong, one to another. He clawed at the broad chest, the firm back, leveraging for support as he pleasured himself under Chris’ vocal encouragement, every inch of his cock bringing so much pleasure to his body and soul.

“Pierssss.” He was so turned on by the encouragement. They were still so new at this, but damn if they ever want to stop being physical with one another.

“Fuck yeah Captain.” Piers grunted along, being more and more confident in this thrusts and his skill as he rocked the bed with his strength, marvelling at the tight, perfect fit they have in one another’s bodies.

“Fuck me. God yeah it’s so good.” Chris panted, feeling Piers’ warm helm sliding all the way inside, hearing the light grunt and pants of his partner pleasuring himself within. That cry of delight, of satisfaction that only he could offer. The way he still moaned his rank in their lovemaking, and the utter longing of admiration and endearment behind that epithet transcending beyond the definition of their relation. They are equals in partnership, but behind the strong front Piers presents of himself and his attitude, together, there is an undeniable yearning for protection and strength over his tender and sensitive inner being. A quality that Chris vows he will always find the strength to protect.

“I want you like this Chris. I need you...” The sniper panted, working his butt steadily with a hurried but caring pace. Hard enough to push at his senses and desires, gentle enough to keep him situated on that boundary between pleasure and pain.

“Fuck me, Piers.” He growled, shutting down his rational thought and letting his body feel the pair of hands at his hips, the long cock ramping in an out of his butt, the weight of Piers against his hips on the bed, his own erection rubbing against the sheets.

“Oh yeah, baby. Keep it up.” He encouraged his partner. It wasn’t their first time, but they were still very new at this and explored it as a journey together.

He didn’t have any expectations except to make Piers satisfied. He lost track of time, lying and relaxing at Piers’ rhythmic assault, hearing the intensity build in his breathing and intensity.

“Chriss…. yeah…” The slightly husky voice panted, grunting in pleasure, grunting in the intimacy of being accepted in the depths of his beloved Captain.

“Oh yeah. Oh yeah.” Chris knew Piers was getting close, and he moaned in response to the more steadfast and forceful assault. “Do it Piers. Let it go…”

“Fuck yeah. Oh god. Yeah. Yeah… Ahhh. Ahhhh.” Piers panted as he raced to the finish line, hugging Chris in passion as he climaxed in Chris’ bowels, filling the rubber with his spunk, nibbling Chris’ shoulder as the intensity of his climax overtook his consciousness.

“Ah….” It was for several minutes that both partners laid there, absorbing in the most unrestrained and unbridled expression of love. Piers was still buried within, rolling both to their sides and roaming his hands over every inch of his partner’s torso, grabbing and pumping the thick rigid flesh that commanded Chris’ attention. He flexed a little and worked his half hard cock around Chris’ prostate, and it wasn’t long before Chris reached for the towel and let Piers bring him to the climax, opening the flood gates of his milky desires and wants and lying in the clutches of Piers, skin flushed an angry red.

“Fuck yeah Piers, you’re getting so good.” They lied together in relaxation for some moments, catching their breath and recovering from the climax. Chris panted as Piers cleaned them both up, dragging him to the shower.

“Mmm…” Piers pushed Chris onto the shower walls and pressed him to a long hard kiss, letting the warm water cascade over their bodies, their faces as they continued the share expression of desire.

“I can never get enough of you, Chris.” He said, brushing the wet hair of his face as they stared at each other.

“I will always love you, Piers” Chris said, stroking Piers gently and letting the water rinse away the last bit of stress and tiredness he felt. He closed his eyes as the water streamed from head to toe with Piers in his arms like the blessing from heaven itself.

“Chris.”

“Piers.”

_Please, just let me spend the rest of my life with him._


	29. Invasion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the depths of the night, the hunt has begun.

Despite the prior relaxation and intimacy with the Captain, Piers felt unsettled trying to sleep. Deep in his spirit, he could sense something wasn’t right. Ever since meeting Moira he had felt uneasy. He thought it was the concern about Subject C, about Jake’s doppelganger that was bothering him. Or perhaps it was the confirmation that Carla was alive, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. It was almost a physical sensation. He had rolled around in bed for a while trying to fight it. He meditated for a moment, trying to collect his thoughts, and that was when he first felt the signals. He bolted up at once.

“What is it, Piers?” Chris evidently had noticed the stirring of his partner.

“I sense entities approaching our location. Don’t ask me how, but I think we should get ready for visitors.” Piers decided to tap into his instinct, something every soldier often live and die by. Sometimes a moment of preparation was all it takes between life and death.

“Should we warn Jill?” Chris sat up, quickly getting into gear and getting their equipment ready.

Piers nodded. He knows Jill will forgive him if it’s a false alarm. He quickly dressed and checked over their guns while Chris contacted Jill and warned her to set up defences.

“Any idea or numbers or units?” Chris turned, phone in his ear as he tried to strap his holster in place.

“They’re fast, 30-50 if not more.” Piers said, feeling a clearer connection in his mind now that distance has closed. Hopefully he’d bought them enough time.

There was no sight of the moon or stars with heavy clouds lining the skies above. Bright lights lit the facility as they watched the entrances.

Piers was on one of the sniper’s nest at the facility’s entrance, rifle in hand while Jill and Chris kept watch from another corner out of sight organising the squads they had hastily assembled while calling for backup. It was absurd to think the enemy would even have their location, let alone sent infiltrated forces this far into the heart of China, but one can never underestimate their enemy. Carla had proven herself to be a crafty opponent in every encounter.

He searched his mind for the connections and updated the locations over the radio. As the dots gathered closer he could trace their coordinates to his mind map. Somehow he has gained a tactical awareness of every infected subject’s position without drawing attention to himself, and that combined with his keen vision even in the low light means he is now fully aware of the units coming his way.

He reported his intel to Chris, cocked his rifle and after checking the radio and started firing rounds at his targets.

He was able to take down 5-6 enemies before they closed in. Gunfire broke through the otherwise deadly silence of the night at the research base, their mountainous terrain giving them great vantage and range over the invaders running on foot. The first wave was silently obliterated and fell around the site, but it was only the beginning. Piers’ brows furrowed, noting a large portion of them formed incubating chrysalids which became dormant, and in time emerged to Mesets, Strelats and even Gnezdo attacking from land and sky with some sense of coordination.

Chris and Piers focused on the advanced mutants, trying to tie down the most dangerous creatures while Jill and the BSAA soldiers cleared the less risky enemies. However, the attack was only the beginning, not least of all when one of the fallen creatures rose again as the hooded form of Carla Radames.

“Ada!” Chris pointed his gun at his target with Jill, fighting every instinct to fire. In truth they already had fired at her, and he wanted to know what her plans were. Carla could never resist giving a piece of her mind.

“I see I have been missed. You’re a sweetie, Chris, but you shouldn’t let a lady always make the first move.” Carla smiled and tilted her head at Chris, a playful and inviting glint in her eyes.

“You had a second chance, what more do you want?” Chris said, his hand steady as ever as he pointed his gun at her. If Carla showed herself here, she was either very well prepared or very foolish. Given her track record, the BSAA might be the ones in trouble. He hoped to buy some time for Jill, Piers and the soldiers to get a breather.

“I. Want. You.” She teased the stout Captain. She turned, feasting her eyes on Piers at his nest who had her fixed down his scope. “And you. You survived this long under Chris’ command? You deserve a medal. Or perhaps, a burial.” She laughed, and in the distraction shot a dart towards Piers.

“Carla!” Chris fired, but it was too late. The bullet passed through Carla without any apparent damage. Piers on the other hand barely had time to think, but his quick coordination and razor sharp vision allowed him to block the dart in time with his bulky rifle.

“I see you’ve both grown since our last meeting.” She gave a sweep of her hair and leapt high in her air, removing her cloak and tossing it aside towards Chris. While the cloak distracted her enemies, her form seemingly flickered, and she was at Jill’s side in an instant.

Jill grunted as her fist strike was blocked by the infiltrator. She did a side spin to gain distance, exchanging a quick number of hand to hand attacks with the wanted agent. Chris ran and closed in, hoping to capture Carla and protect Jill while Piers readied his rifle for a shot. His position should be safe.

He never made the shot.

It was only a light yelp from the distance, but in that instant Chris knew something was very wrong from the familiar voice who had always been in control. He was still fighting Carla with Jill, hoping to gain an upper hand but he risked a look to see Piers struggling at his position, wriggling and protesting against an invisible enemy, his limbs starting to tangle at awkward angles as he rose off the nest and was carried away.

“Piers!” He yelled, taking a step to Piers direction before remembering he was still engaged with Carla. His blood froze.

Jill needed him, and maybe if they could capture Carla he could get Piers back. His heart palpated at the dilemma and he felt a chill over his spine. Piers was the soft spot in his heart. He could never give him up without a fight, but Jill… Jill was his _other_ soft spot, his other weakness alongside Claire. Torn at indecision, he yelled in frustration, launching a hook towards Carla while Jill blocked her escape. His fist finally collided with her face, but instead of a solid hit he felt as if he hit jelly, and the face smirked and tried to restrain Jill by her arms.

“Chris---“ Jill pleaded with her eyes, trying to leverage a flip or a kick, but Carla’s grip was strong. Chris looked both ways. Piers was being carried away from the facility by an invisible enemy but none could be spared to save him. He seemed to have lost his struggles, and yet they can’t lose Jill, she was overseeing the entire operation. Who was he going to save?

His heart panicked when he heard sniper shots towards Piers’ direction, and he made his choice, however difficult it was, hoping it wasn’t one to regret.

He grasped at Carla’s wrist, using his and Jill’s weight and momentum against her own, and tried to wrestle Jill out of the hold. Despite his size advantage, Carla wasn’t giving in, giving Chris a headbutt which send him collapsing as his vision blacked out for a moment. That was far stronger an attack than he anticipated. He panicked as his vision blackened and he sank to his knees, holding his head in pain, trying to get his vision and coordination back.

He heard Jill grunt and struggling against Carla too. Jill was a strong combatant, but neither of them could match Carla as she didn’t seem hurt by any of their attacks and went full out attack. He had to find a way to get her.

He stood up and froze when he regained his vision. Carla had Jill in a headlock, a knife pointed at her throat, hiding her body behind Jill’s and taunting Chris with her eyes.

“This is the part where you lose another partner, Redfield.” A sly smile crept up her lips as she readied the knife. Jill tugged an arm free, trying to get something from her belt, but she wouldn’t make it in time.

Chris froze. He wasn’t usually one to panic and watch things happen, but too many times he had been the one to watch as his partners took their fall. He had already lost Jill once, yet there was nothing he could do watching the tip of the knife threatening to sink in.

“Freeze!”

Chris instinctively shielded his eyes as brilliant white light blinded the three of them.

Carla gave a painful yell, loosening her grip and blocking her eyes with her palm. The light was so strong that even the reflection of her knife was blinding. In that instant Jill finally withdrew the last weapon on her belt, readied it, and pushed it towards Carla under her arm.

“Ahhhhhhh!” Carla was paralysed as the electrified stun rod made contact and she dropped her knife.

Chris held his breath, being the first to recover from the light. He aimed the laser at Carla’s head and fired as electric sparks still held her in place.

“Ughhh!!” Carla grunted as she took the bullet. She was turning into a grey slimy form from her wound in her forehead, and the flesh at her abdomen was melting away as Jill worked the stun rod inwards, impaling her.

“You got me… Chris… but this is not the end…” She said, her body starting to melt into a blob of slime.

“Piers!!” Chris turned, seeing no trace of his lieutenant anymore.

“It’s too late, Redfield.” Carla smiled as her body turned to soot. Was this her ploy all along?

“Piers!!”

The tactical flashlight finally flicked off, and the short but strong figure of Moira Burton dashed forward to support Jill who was panting at the turn of events.

“Chris, I’ll look after Jill, you go get Piers back.” Moira held Jill and called to Chris.

Chris was already taking off, feeling the burn in his quads as he got to the entrance of the facility. He only knew of one invisible BOW. He is not losing the last man of his team to it. Not again. Not ever.

“Piers!”

* * *

 

Piers had blacked out for a moment when he felt himself compressed all over, wrapped in the clutches of an anaconda’s grip until the Captain’s voice rang again in his ear from the distance. His arms were pinned at his side. He could barely breathe in the constricted state. Mercifully, the snake wasn’t squeezing any harder, but instead was transporting him with incredible speed.

I’ve got to get through this. He told himself. He knew what he was up against now. The Iluzjia who took out Marco and most of their team at Poisaiwan. Carla had distracted them enough for the Iluzjia to show up, and it surprised Piers because it had no BOW signature. He sought the mental connection to the creature, perhaps to dominate over it, but it had hidden itself too well, and Piers only had a vague sense. Desperate, Piers tried to remember how to defeat something he can’t even see. The grip was causing him to see sparks in his vision. All he could hear was Marco when he was electrocuted.

Electricity.

I can fight this thing!

He closed his eyes and summoned his bioelectricity, only that instead of firing from his fingertips he tried to create an electric field around himself.

Z.. zzz…Zzzzaaaap!

His body flashed and Piers grunted as he charged the potential around himself for a second before losing control. It was enough. The snake like creature was paralysed and halted in its movements, shaking and uncoiling as it tried to escape from the shock. However, sensing the shock was over, the creature began to wind itself against Piers again.

Perhaps maintaining the field around his whole body was too much. Piers focused instead for the field on his right arm as he pushed against the restraints with his strength. The BOW convulsed, squeezing Piers harder, but it also trembled as it felt the burn of the bioelectricity. Piers grit his teeth, trying to maintain the electric field for a few more seconds. It took an immense amount of concentration, and his mind was losing it in a state of haziness.

“Damn it!” He cursed as the electricity sputtered and died away. He sighed, taking a deep breath and holding it for a moment as man and beast both braced themselves for the next assault.

Sharper, harder, brighter. He forced himself to focus with all his concentration of a sniper, confining the field to the edge of his palm as he tried to cut himself free with a blade of lightning.

Zzzzzzzzaaap! The lightning wrapped palm cut into the skin of the BOW and it gave a loud shriek in Piers’ ears, wriggling and disentangling itself as it fled, letting go of its precious cargo in favour of self-preservation. Piers was finally freed from its clutches, and he panted hungrily, filling his lungs again with much needed oxygen.

“Show yourself, you son of a bitch!” Piers launched sparks around him trying to find the creature. It was a predator with a weakness. It would use camouflage to hide and strike suddenly. If he could see it, he would have the advantage instead. He scanned the blood trail which was fast disappearing.

He needs to be able to see the thing! ‘Come on!’ He closed his eyes and strained his vision, searching for a connection in both his vision and his mind, feeling even more lightheaded for a moment and he clutched his forehead.

He heard the slithering on the grass and he pre-emptively launched a burst of sparks, narrowly avoiding the slap of the BOW’s tail.

Furrowing his brows, he squinted, feeling his right eye warm up as something shifted within. He shook his head, and when he opened his eyes again he finally saw the multi-coloured, almost incandescent form of the B.O.W. trying to escape, but perhaps sensing that it was being hunted, hastily began coiling itself to get ready for an attack.

Piers grinned. The hunter had become the prey. He charged his bioelectricity and fired towards the open jaws of the Illuzjia.

The hit connected, and the BOW crashed onto the ground, slithering away at once at a greater speed. Piers gave chase, forgetting he was getting further and further away. He had to be close however, the BOW was weakening…

He found the BOW again trying to hide up a tree. He charged a shot and fired, coursing a bolt of electricity to his target as the Illuzjia shook and started to fall. However this time it didn’t fade away and opened its jaws wide, hoping to close them around Piers.

Piers knew he was in trouble as he saw the sharp fangs getting closer, but he couldn’t move, locked at maintaining the bioelectric connection between them and hoping he could kill it before it got close. He grunted and surged the field around his body, lighting the surroundings with a white hot flash of charged lightning followed by a loud clap of thunder piercing through the night. The snake thrashed and started to explode from the current, shaking three times unwillingly until it finally fell limp on the ground, jaw agape, smoke rising from its corpse.

Piers paused, falling on one knee to catch his breath as he heard the sound of a chopper towards his location. He looked up to see Carla Radames sitting on the edge of the chopper, her crimson scarf flying in the night wind as she smiled mysteriously at Piers.

Piers froze. Chris and Jill was supposed to be fighting Carla. If she was here, what happened to Chris, Jill and the BSAA? Have they been overcome so quickly?

As he pondered her sudden appearance he only had a split second’s warning as the Illuzjia’s biosignature suddenly reared back to life, and jaws rose to try to grab him. Piers leapt back, but it was too late. Twin fangs sank deep into his right forearm, piercing an artery and injecting him with its venom.

“Ahhhh!” Piers cried as he pushed the fangs out, spraying the grasslands with his blood. He squeezed his arm, trying to let the blood wash the venom out the wound, trying not to panic even though he was already finding it hard to breathe. He should make a tourniquet to restrict the flow of the venom. He tugged hard at his sleeve, trying to tear if off. There was a snap as some of the stiches came off, but it remained attached at the shoulder as he lost his strength in a matter of seconds.

He lost his balance too when he felt his muscles lock up with paralysis. He opened his mouth but failed to make a sound. His tongue felt foreign, and his jaw was locked.

“Piers!!!” He heard Chris’ voice in the distance. His heart pounded. He needs to hold out for just a moment.

“Piers!!”

Lying on his back, Piers couldn’t even move his eyes. He could see Carla’s blue dress by his side, watching with his limited vision as she hastily tugged at his shirt, his tactical vest, his belt, his boots.

His consciousness finally gave in to the venom and he blacked out. Hearing only the final, distant call of his captain.

“Piers!!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 28 was another turning point. Things are going to get seriously shaken up from here on in. Bear with me as we build towards the final sequence of events, it's gonna be a rough ride.


	30. I'll miss you, Captain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No spoilers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains light bondage themes, hints of dubious consent and dark, emotional themes. It also raises a lot of questions which will be answered in coming chapters.

Guided by the light on his earpiece, Chris followed the trampled vegetation towards the area where Piers was taken, calling his name, hoping he was ok. The Illuzjia was fast! He followed the claps of thunder and flashes of electricity. Piers was still fighting it. There’s still a chance. He knows Piers will never go down without a good fight. A partner’s trust.

Things fell strangely silent for a moment until he saw in the distance a bright flash of lightning and a loud crackle of thunder in the far off bushes. It’ll take him some time to catch up to Piers yet.

He called for his partner into the darkness, willing his legs to keep going despite the burn of the lactic acid, forcing his muscles to endure the highly uneven terrain even if they threatened to lock stiff from rigour. He half ran, half lumbered as he could, hearing a chopper approaching close by. He couldn’t risk Piers fighting reinforcements by himself without back up of his own. Not that he’s heavy cavalry or anything in his current state.

He was exhausted and out of breath when he finally reached the clearing, catching a glimpse of the chopper flying off to the distance and Piers’ body lying in the clearing. Heart racing, he ran to his side, huffing and puffing as he pulled him up. Piers was in a mess. His vest was discarded, his shirt was open, and his shemagh was draping awkwardly over one shoulder instead of neatly round his neck as he usually did. He checked under the shirt, feeling his way around the skin for any wounds, marks or broken ribs, relieved that everything was intact. Apart from his very messy dress and glazed composure, he only seemed exhausted. There were patches of blood about, but they must have been from the fight with the BOW.

“Piers!” He gently padded Piers’ cheeks as he sat him up across his own body.

“C..captain.” Piers moaned weakly, holding onto Chris.

“You alright?” Chris reached a hand to pull him up, and Piers stood, but his pants were loose and he quickly pulled it back up, tightening the waist strap and zipping his shirt.

“What happened? Everything alright?” Chris asked, helping Piers put on his vest and shemagh.

“Damned BOW got me. Messed me up all over and I had to check myself for injuries…” Piers said, stretching himself as he adjusted his boots and started walking back with Chris, both taking it slowly from their exhaustion.

“I heard a chopper, was that their backup?” Chris asked, walking slowly with Piers as they both panted their way up the hill towards the facility.

“Yeah, the BOW was retreating but I managed to nab it, I blacked out for a moment from the fighting but I think I scared the backup away. Maybe they heard you coming.”

“Where’d she gone?” Piers asked, looking around curiously as they stepped back into the base. The fight was seemingly over. Teams of BSAA personnel were disinfecting and cleaning up the bodies and soot from the invasion, and the few injured soldiers were being tended to.

“We got her. She melted into ash.” Chris panted as he exchanged a nod with Jill and Moira.

“Really?” Piers gave a small sigh, eyeing Jill and Moira as Chris supported him with an arm over his shoulder.

“I’ve got you Piers. It’s alright.” Chris reassured his lieutenant, giving the arm a squeeze.

“Piers, are you alright? You look seriously messed up.” Jill said, looking him up and down.

“It was rough.” Piers said.

“Chris, you go look after Piers, we’ll clean up here and tighten security.” Jill said.

“Thanks. Hope you’re ok yourself. Call for Claire if you need anything. Moira, keep an eye out for her ok?” Chris nodded and took Piers to the building.

“Do you feel alright? I should run you through the medical checks.” He asked, adjusting Piers’ soft hair which was missing it usual spikes and running his fingers over his forehead. That fight must have really roughened Piers up.

Piers squinted uncomfortably and tried to push away the hand but shook his head. “I’m not sick. Chris. I just need to rest up.”

“Food maybe? You always got extremely hungry after using your powers.”

“N-No, can’t stomach it at the moment.” He refused stubbornly and closed his eyes. Perhaps he was just exhausted, Chris told himself.

He laid Piers to the bed and let him rest while he showered and prepared for bed again.

Piers locked the door and shut the blinds before climbing on the bed, fiddling with the buttons and clasps to free himself from the layers of clothing and gear. He wiped the grime off his face and body with a towel and checked himself in the mirror. He gave a little smile to the mirror and threw himself beneath the covers.

The bathroom door opened and Chris headed out quietly dressed only in his boxers. It was dark and quiet. Piers was probably asleep, trying to make up for whatever sleep he lost prior to the attack. He climbed in, slightly amused that Piers was nude instead of wearing his usual pyjamas.

He wrapped his arms naturally around his sniper and rested. They might get a few more good hours of rest yet.

* * *

 

“Captain.”

Chris woke up to see Piers cuddling him, entwining limbs in his own, sensually licking him across the chest, grinding his hips across the bulge barely contained in the dark fabric.

“Piers. Whoa.” He smiled and caressed Piers’ face watching him work, exploring his furry chest with newfound delight. Desire ached in his loins, and he reached a hand to run it down Piers’ back.

“Missed me Chris?” The sly sniper teased, fondling the sculpted torso beneath his touch. He was gentler than usual, curiously tracing and prodding each pectoral, each oblique and abdominal muscle.

“Are you sure you’re OK from last night? It was a tough fight… how did you beat the invisible thing that was carrying you away?”

“Shhh.. less talk, more moaning.” He hissed, running his hand down Chris’ back, stopping to give a good solid grope on his butt.

Chris inhaled at the touch and felt himself stiffen again. He really was stretching those briefs. He wriggled, and the engorged rod slipped out from the side and prodded at Piers.

“Ooh. Look who came out to say hi.” Sly curiosity crossed across Piers’ face, and he reached a hand to grip the heavy shaft lightly between two fingers. The lightest of touches seeing if Chris could fit in the ring of his fingers. He couldn’t.

“Mmm.” He groaned in appreciation, gripping the shaft weakly with his right palm and smirked, looking into Chris’ eyes for a reaction.

Chris moaned and jutted himself, trying to hump Piers’ hands. He wished Piers used the stronger touch that he usually did. This was too limp for his liking, but he ignored it. Piers could be such a tease sometimes.

“Come on, harder, Piers.” He moaned, humping the hand as it tried to jerk him off. Something was off though. He couldn’t feel the usual synchrony and instinctive partnership their bodies held. Perhaps Piers was still tired but still wanted to please him.

“Hey, don’t force yourself if you’re still tired OK? I can wait till you’re better.” He gazed and spoke seriously to Piers, but the sniper gave a light wrinkling of his nose and looked down, tracing his electrifying gaze down his torso, the toned abs and the erect organ before him.

“… can I tie you up?”

“What?” Chris furrowed his brows. It was an unusual request, but Piers was always a bit of an adventurer. Maybe he had wanted to try it?

Piers still maintained the light smile on his face, reaching down and freeing the nylon straps and buckles from his gear. He traced a finger down Chris’ chest to make him lie still, and gave him a peck on the stubbled cheek. He used the distraction to bring both muscled arms up above his head and clasped him to the bedpost tightly with a click on the wrists, tightening the strap so Chris didn’t have much wriggle room.

Chris bucked a little, feeling vulnerable at the openness and loss of control. The strap was loose enough that he could undo the buckle with a little effort but he was so… accessible. He writhed on the bed, feeling a touch scared but still turned on. Part of him sensed danger, that he shouldn’t continue, but he knew he could trust Piers. Wasn’t that all bondage was about? Trust?

Piers got another buckle and clamped Chris’ feet to each corner of the bed and stood back, admiring his handwork. The hunky captain was bound, feet wide open, hands above his head, gazing back at him, powerless and confused.

“Don’t worry, you’ll feel better soon.” He climbed on the bed, teasing the warm bulge nesting on the dark fabric of the briefs.

“How do you feel, Redfield?” He grinned, siting back in a sensual posture and tilted his head, studying Chris’ reaction.

“If you want to do something, you better start right away.” Chris tried to summon a smile, suppressing his own discomfort.

Piers smiled, running his hands over the muscular arms of his captain with his face inches from him.

“Look at you Chris. Captain of the BSAA. So strong, so mighty, so manly. Lying there at my mercy.”

Chris grunted, feeling more naked and exposed than ever.

“Imagine if Finn saw you this way.” He smiled and licked his lips, leaving Chris in confusion.

“Finn…” those weren’t pleasant memories. Why was Piers desecrating the memory of his team?

“Remember Marco? He trusted you with his life.” He said, exposing his teeth, and slowly sinking to take a bite on the hard bicep.

“Piers!” Chris grunted. It was a hard bite. Piers had never gone that far before. “Piers, this is getting out of hand. What’s going on?”

“I’m better than ever, Chris.” Piers tossed his hair from side to side, running his hands down his own body and giving Chris somewhat of a show, tugging at his own erection and grinding it on Chris’ abs. He sat on Chris’ hips, and ground his ass over the warm bulge.

“You want me, don’t you.” He squeezed Chris’ sides and teased him.

“Piers… you..”

“Tell me you want me.” He squeezed harder.

“I… Piers. You know I love you, but….”

“Tell me you want to stick your cock up my ass.”

Chris tried to focus. He was distracted by the firm cheeks teasing his hard cock, but he looked into Piers’ eyes. The usual spark of love and admiration wasn’t there. It was cruel and sadistic. This wasn’t just normal power play.

“Piers. This isn’t like you. I’m not judging you, but tell me you’re alright.”

Piers teased the flesh on Chris’s shoulder, slowly clamping his teeth down.

“Piers… that’s a bit too—Argh!” Chris cried out as the teeth broke the skin. He turned, watching Piers suck the blood out of the light wound, sampling it, smearing it on his lips.

“What the fuck Piers?” Piers had never hurt him before. He would send silent apologies even at the slightest discomfort he caused with those tender hazel eyes. Besides, Piers was infected. Kaison never said if his bites were safe.

“Shut it, Chris.” He spat out the name with contempt. “I’m sick of hearing the shit you tell me to do.” He jabbed Chris’ abs. Hard.

“Oww.” Chris recoiled at the unexpected assault. Piers had always been respectful, gentle. “Piers?”

“Tell me a secret Chris. Who’s more important. Me, or Ada Wong?” He smiled, tracing a nail down Chris’ cheek.

“Piers, you’re my partner. We’ve established that since the first of July.” Chris said, looking at Piers with concern.

“What, you think caring about me now makes up for all the times you’ve failed to care?” Hazel irises flamed with fury, finding more ammunition to sling at the wounded man.

“I do care. I’m ever grateful I have you back at my side…”

“Until last night.”

“Piers. God damn it. I’m fucking sorry!” He wasn’t horny anymore. PTSD never was. The memory surfaced, of him failing his team again. Finn helplessly crying ‘Captain’ while straining for his touch, his salvation. He felt like a failure all over. Failing Finn, failing Alpha Team, failing Piers.

“Fuck!” He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to block the memory but it was too late. Waves of guilt washed over him, clouding out every wisp of hope and happiness he once had.

Piers’ voice continued to mock. “Look at yourself. Look at your past. Look at everything you’ve stuffed up. Every one you couldn’t save. I’m sick of how pathetic you are Chris. What have you ever done for your men’s sake except put them in danger time after time… I can’t even trust you to watch my back without getting myself killed.”

Chris tugged at his restraints in anger and self-loathing. “I tried. I tried and I failed. But you… you have hope Piers, you’re not my failure… you’re my pride.”

Piers stared at him in disappointment. It was as if they were strangers. Their bond was broken. Whatever happened last night had shattered them. Chris couldn’t bear to see that look. It spoke of rejection, of isolation, of contempt. Piers rejected him. The connection that he had so treasured and lived for was severed. How did things go sour so quickly? Only last night they were fulfilled lovers. Now they were feuding and arguing.

“Why?” He pleaded.

Piers took a deep breath. “You know what you did.”

“I…” Chris searched the hazel pupils for an explaining, but only saw cold hard hostility.

“Jill.” Hazel eyes bore into his with the chill of the Antarctic.

The name cut him to the core. So that was what it was about. Piers was right. He did choose to side with Jill when they were both in danger. When they both needed him. He was regretting it then, and regretted it even more now. He didn’t know deep down what he would do if he had to choose again. He knew if he was at Piers’ side he would have definitely chosen Piers. Tactically he was too far away to give support in time. But was it just a convenient excuse? Did he wanted Jill more? Did he wanted to kill Carla more than to keep Piers safe?

“Piers. You and I know it isn’t like that. Jill—“

“I don’t need to hear it, Chris. I know the truth now.” The arrogant lieutenant gave a dismissive nod, staring in silent rejection of his captain’s appeals as he crossed his arms. He knew he had to be breaking Chris hard, and he felt sadistic relief in doing it.

“I thought I could trust you. You said you won’t let anyone down, but when it was time to walk the talk, your actions told me who you truly cared about.”

“Piers, I—“

“Go crawl beneath her legs and beg her to take you back why don’t you. Why are you fucking wasting your time with me anyway? There’s nothing to apologise for Chris. It’s over.”

“No. This isn’t how it is!” He shook the bed angrily trying to move his wrists out of confinement. He wanted to hold Piers, to apologise, to let him know it was all OK…

“You left me at my time of need. I thought I could trust you. I gave all of myself to you, and when the moment came? You betrayed me. You abandoned me for another. It fucking hurts Chris. Nobody betrays me, you hear that?”

“Piers!!” Chris thrashed on the bed with rage, shaking his bed even more furiously as he tried to gesture his sincerity. Instead he was still ridiculously tied up. He was yelling now, and he didn’t care.

“Piers! This has never been about you or me. It’s about the BSAA. Jill is our commander for this mission, we need her to coordinate the operation! I trusted you. I trusted that you can overcome your adversaries. Don’t _you_ trust me in my choices?”

“I don’t. You chose Jill, you chose vengeance. Admit it. You stayed because you wanted a piece of Ada, didn’t you? You cared more about Ada than Piers’, well, _my_ wellbeing. Wasn’t that right? Am I… disposable to you now?”

“I…” Chris paused for a minute. He thought he was over vengeance. But was Piers correct? Did he really wanted Carla dead more than making sure Piers was safe? Was the real choice Piers vs Jill, or Piers vs Carla? The last time an Illuzjia showed up he dropped everything to pursue it, to try and save his men. This time he let it go. Ironic. What happened to his decision making skills?

“What would you have me do, Piers?” He resigned the choice back to Piers.

Piers looked confused for a moment. His face twisted. “I don’t feel I know you anymore. Chris. Lies. They are lies you believed in. I don’t need to hear your bullshit. This is it. After all I’ve done for you. Fine. Forget about me, go back to Jill… you two can have a future together. Just… forget about me. OK?” I’ve had enough. He told himself. It’s time.

Chris shook his head in defeat. “No! God damnit Piers! This isn’t how it was meant to be! We promised each other to hold on. You can’t let go now after we worked so hard for this!”

Piers laughed. A maniacal laugh of disappointment. “Promise! What god damn promise. I’ve heard it all from men like you! Promise me the world when all that time you’re only ever going after the one in your heart all those years ago. Always Jill. Always another woman. Always Ada Wong. Why do I matter to you anyway when you’re the one to let go first? You think you can use me and abuse me and leave me for another, well think again!” Piers flared in anger that Chris had never seen, every word seemingly burn form a lifetime of hatred. This could not have come from just last night. The hurt was real, and somehow being the source of all this didn’t make him feel any better about himself.

“Piers!” Chris had never seen Piers been this disrespectful to him, to Jill. His heart was caught in turmoil. Nothing would ever be the same again if Piers turned out this way… “Stop this. You can snap out of this!”

Piers was still laughing, but there was no joy in his laughter, only a haunting sadness brought on by the deepest disappointment and betrayal. Memories flashed back of earlier times. Happier times, sadder, torturous times.

“I thought I trusted you. You were my leader. You gave me hope, fed me resounding promises and then you backed away from them. You used me. You made me believe things were for the better, you made me give myself to you, and in the end you STILL chose HER!!”

Chris was trying his hardest to break out of his bounds. He needs to snap Piers out of this. He was fighting against himself, his emotions. Piers was his strength. Piers once make him believe he was worth it. Part of him didn’t want to go on hearing Piers reject him. Maybe he was useless, maybe he was the true cause for Piers’ suffering. Maybe he did choose Jill after all this time…

_“Someone’s got to keep their eye on you. Whether you want them to or not.”_

_“…for the future, Captain.”_

He remembered his Lieutenant’s words from earlier times. That was a different Piers back then. A Piers who always believed, always hoped, always trusted. A Piers that pursued after him for months when everyone gave up. He needs that Piers back.

“Piers, you’ve changed…” He shook his head slowly, staring at the shaking, convulsing form of Piers before him.

“Because of you.” Piers said, giving him a silent, hard stare and his body trembled. For a moment his hair was turning colour… turning to the colour of jet back. His pupils were losing their golden glint into the darkness…

“Piers… what’s happening! Stay with me!” Chris was shocked at Piers’ transformation. His skin was bubbling and throbbing, but he tried to hang on.

“My time is running out.” He said, reaching a hand towards Chris. “I was shot with a dart last night. I’m… I’m a ticking time bomb Chris… I tried to hide it, but… ahhhhh!!” He grunted in pain as his skin erupted in boils, his features contorted in agony.

“PIERS!! We’ll get the doctors. We’ll give you a shot of something. It’s gonna be OK! Stay with me!” Chris surged and finally managed to unbuckle and release his arms out of the restraints. He unclipped the belt and shifted, trying to reach to touch Piers but he shied away. “Captain... it’s too late. I…”

His skin was fading from its creamy colour into a sad, sullen grey, the grey of the infected…

“Piers!”

“I’m sorry, Captain for yelling at you. I just wanted you to hate me so you can feel better when I’m gone…”

Piers reached down and threw his pistol on the bed. “Captain. It’s time for you to finish what you promised. Do it for me, so I can die as myself…”

“Piers! Somebody help!” Chris yelled loudly as he could, freeing his legs and holding Piers to the bed. His entire body has begun to transform into a lifeless grey. Only his face was still reminiscent of the lieutenant he once loved.

“Piers, we didn’t come so far to be defeated by this… you can fight this. You can hold on!”

“Chris. There’s no more time. Do it Captain! Do it now!” Piers was yelling back, a tear running down his cheek.

Chris felt his vision go blurry as tears washed over his face. He trembled and took a deep breath, grasping the gun in his hand.

“I’ll… miss you… Captain.”

He had promised that he’ll put an end to it when Piers could no longer hold on. He failed to help Marco, Finn and the others. He can’t fail Piers, and yet if he pulled the trigger, he knows he would have failed himself forever.

“I’ll always love you, Piers.” He raised the pistol and forced his arm to be steady.

Piers looked back at him, hazel eyes swimming with a lifetime of sorrow. “Captai—“

BANG.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was no blood.

Tears flowed freely down Chris’ face, seeing the beloved features melt into the pile of grey, his hollow eyes still staring at him in vacant regret, in silent horror.

This was the end. But it wasn’t ever meant to be like this.

They had a future. Only last night were they sharing their deepest passions together. Only last night did Chris admit he’d rest in peace knowing the legacy will go on. Now he felt all of his strength, all of his hope had been swept away from him, down once more to the abyss of oblivion. How can he go on without a reason to live? Without the one he wanted to protect? He should be the one to go first. Not Piers. Never Piers.

“Piers. Come back to me!” He reached a hand to the remains, still unwilling to believe that this sudden turn of events was their destiny. Piers was everything he lived for, the last thing that kept him together. He was supposed to survive what he couldn’t! He didn’t deserve to go like this, turning into a full mutation, dying at his hand.

His touch closed on the still warm flesh, but at his touch the remains crumbled and churned, heating and disappearing like ash to the air in a puff of smoke, rising towards the heavens.

“Nooooo! Not like this. Please. Not my PIERS!!!!!!!” Chris’ wail filled the walls of the compound. Despite all his efforts, he had finally lost the last on his team. His most faithful partner, for good.

He didn’t even leave a body behind.

His heart broke, flushing his chest with a sudden burst of liquid warmth. Deep down, he knew nothing could make him whole again.

* * *

 

“Chris!” The door was kicked opened and Jill stood in the doorway followed by Quint and a few armed agents. Chris was sitting on the bed, a sheet over himself, knees to his chest, clutching Piers’ shemagh while staring vacantly at a spot beside him. There was a burnt mark on the white sheet and a smell of smoke in the air.

“There was a signal of a powerful BOW in here.” Quint said, adjusting the controls of his Genesis 2.0 scanner.

Chris clenched his jaw, but didn’t look up.

Jill could tell something was terribly wrong. She took a robe and passed it to Chris who took it but put it aside.

“Chris. Talk to me. Tell me what happened.” She eyed the agents for them to wait outside and let Quint do his investigations.

She put a supportive palm on Chris’ bare shoulder and he flinched in recoil. He didn’t look at Jill, but shot her a wounded, angry look. A look of resentment. A look of disappointment. A look of hollowness.

Jill’s heart sank. She had seen Chris in his ups and downs over the years, but never like this. She knew Chris was in a horrible place. Almost beyond redemption. She eyed the bleeding teeth mark on Chris’ shoulder and biceps and her brows furrowed, but she chose not to comment. As long as it wasn’t a bite from the infected…

“Chris. Talk to me. It’s ok.” She forced her voice to be steady, but it still trembled a little when she saw the ferocity of pain in Chris’ eyes.

Chris breathed heavily, she could tell he was on the edge. The lurking rage scared her. She didn’t want to know. Ever since Edonia Chris had periods of sullen moodiness, and he positively frightened almost anyone. This was worse than anything she’d seen. Any moment and he would blow himself and anyone around him apart.

She sat at the desk in silence to wait. Chris was stubborn, she’ll have to let him work it out. Still, if he was that distraught after recovering Piers last night… where was Piers? Only Piers could help calm him down, but given the panic, only Piers would have left Chris feeling like this. She watched Quint as he examined the windows and door. Everything was bolted. Piers hadn’t escaped. He should have been here. What happened? Quint checked the signature on the bed from afar and showed Jill.

Enhanced C-virus signature. Powerful BOW mutation.

Piers must have been here. The burn mark…

She got up and looked around the other side of the bed. She saw Piers’ discarded gear at the foot of the bed. The straps of his gear on the bedpost. She stared hard when she finally saw the pistol by Chris’ side. There was no bullet hole. No blood, but they all heard a shot fired. That can only mean…

“He’s gone. Jill.” Chris finally spoke, and it was as if those three words drained the part last of his heart that still was alive. He had no emotion left at all. Neither happiness nor sadness. Neither anger nor rage. Just a quiet, silent desolation of a man who no longer possessed a soul.

“Wake me up and tell me it’s a dream.” He stared at the pistol, weighing up the remaining bullets inside.

Jill opened her mouth but no sound came out. They thought they finally had their victory when they killed Carla yesterday. It wasn’t easy, but they managed. She thought it was the end. She didn’t expect them to lose Piers in just a few hours. Questioning if it really was a dream, she looked at the watch, pinched herself, and exchanged a silent gaze with Quint who shrugged and shook his head slightly.

“I’m afraid it’s not, Chris.” She sighed, feeling the ache over Chris, over the loss of Piers. They had come so far, gotten so close to the end, and now Chris had lost everything again. It was the first of July again. Without Piers at his side, Chris would never make things through on his own. He couldn’t take a second loss. That was why she refused to send either of them out. Any shift, any danger to either of them would shatter the pair. Possibly beyond redemption.

Danger found them anyway.

Chris looked into her eyes, and Jill saw for a moment the hatred and anger within. She averted her gaze, but she finally understood what her old partner was wounded about. He was angry at her. Perhaps if Chris had chosen to go after Piers from the start, to stay at his side, thing might have turned out differently. Chris would be too kind to admit it or verbalise it, but she knew part of him must have blamed her. If it wasn’t for her weakness fighting Carla he could have saved Piers. Regardless, it was out of her control. She can’t help Chris if he thinks she caused all this. Trying to counsel him would only push him further to the abyss. Worse of all, she suspects Chris was right in his accusations. If he went after Piers last night, they’d both be together still. He did survive living without her for three years. He almost didn’t survive three weeks living without Piers since July first.

She stood up and walked to the entrance. “We’ll be here if you need any of us. Chris… I’m so sorry…”

She closed the door and paged Claire, her heart reeling from the harrowing conversation she knew she had to have.

There’s only one person left in the world to try and pull Chris back together now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *cries* I'm sorry. Damn Nivanfeels...  
> Also check out the amazing scene drawn by Fonseca_V [here](http://fonsecavtmlr.tumblr.com/post/129246636176/this-drawing-was-inspired-thanks-to-the-wonderful). Thank you so much!


	31. No One but You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Claire and Jill team up to support Chris as only they could- by never giving up.

“Chris.”

Claire entered Chris and Piers’ room quietly with a tray and set it on the desk. Chris hadn’t gotten out of his room all day. He’s still sitting there, as if in a delayed sense of shock. Seemingly waiting, hoping for revelations that could somehow deny the loss of his lover.

She came to the bed and held her brother close, letting Chris rest his head around her side and held him there for a long moment. It was what Chris did for her in their younger days when he was easily a foot taller than her, whether it be genuine sadness or sudden fluxes of emotions that she didn’t quite know where to place. Chris would be there, and he wouldn’t have a clue what to say most of the time, but he would give her the reassuring touch.

She rested her hands around the burly shoulders and gave them a squeeze. The shoulders that had been so steadfast in bearing the weight of the world. She ran her hands gently through his hair trying to comfort him in the heartfelt silence, almost feeling the tangible anger and sorrow around him.

Chris was in denial. It was a vain hope that nobody dared to crush, because they were all wrong the first time. Yet there was even less hope this time round. Chris shot Piers at point blank range and he disintegrated into a pile of ash. It was as sudden and traumatic to Chris as it is tragic. Jill couldn’t say anything without provoking him further, so the job of putting Chris together again fell to no one but the other Redfield. She suddenly remembered it was so much easier when Piers was around. Whether Chris knew it or not, he was always a lot softer, jovial, more… human when Piers was in the picture.

Why did everything awful have to happen to her one brother time after time?

“Drink something at least.” She rubbed his back and passed him a cup of soup. He hadn’t eaten at all, spending most of it staring out the window or at the blackened spot where Piers had burnt out.

“Please?” She begged, knowing how stubborn Chris was and how awfully hard he was on himself when confronted with any kind of grief. Losing Piers under the present circumstances was such a shock. Everything had gone so right. Piers finally overcame his mutation. They had just about clawed their way out of a valley and were ready to live again, and bam. Piers was no more.

Chris hadn’t believed Piers was gone yet. Claire couldn’t either. She didn’t want to be the one telling Chris to move on because in some ways she wanted to be the little girl in Chris’ arms who screamed that someone she loved couldn’t have died.

Memories of that fateful night had never left her. She recalled the guilt on Chris’ face as he broke the news about their parent’s accident, and how he hugged her that long winter night because suddenly all they had in their lives were each other. They sat among the white noise of the TV waiting night after night, knowing their parent’s car will never return to the garage, but they waited anyway. Claire bawling her eyes out while Chris refused to shed a single tear in her presence. He arranged for independence and custody of Claire over the ensuring fallout with relatives. He had shouldered the financial and emotional responsibility over Claire like a shelter against a hailstorm. He was always the stronger one, but there is only so much battering one could take in life. Claire can only hope he can overcome even this devastating blow.

Chris took the soup with a stoic face and sipped it mechanically. He swallowed, showing neither pleasure or discontent and finished it, passing the mug back to Claire without so much as a word or a sidewards glance. Claire took it, grateful he had at least found some strength to live on.

“You have to be strong Chris. I’m missing him badly also.” There were no words of comfort. Never was for the Redfields. Grief was always directed internally, at one self. At one’s failure. She would have felt better if Chris was able to cry on her shoulder, or talk, or do something about Piers. Instead he was stoic, detached, withdrawn. Deep down, she couldn’t blame him. She was the same after Steve’s death. The same after initially losing Moira when dealing with the aftermath of TerraSave’s siege. The same after dealing with Neil’s betrayal.

Was it too soon to urge him to move on? Was it even safe to suggest what Piers would have wanted? She is too kind to presume she knows what Piers wanted. But she knew Chris knew anyway, even she didn’t know how to deal with him. He is an old minefield, tattering at the edge of explosion for years, every passing casualty ripping away another shred of his soul until now he is easily triggered for loss and PTSD. She could see he had started to grey at his temples. The worry lines have been etching ever harder on his forehead, his shoulders slumping with ever more self-inflicted guilt. Her heart ached at seeing the harshness of the years on Chris. He had given up so much, denied himself of the easier, more contented life he could have if he had chosen to ignore the call, the curse, and the threat of bioterrorism.

Piers was the last safety pin keeping his already shattered world from disintegrating. Chris had been his rockiest and most unstable in their final three years of partnership. This made Piers the most important partner in Chris’ life when he was falling apart. And yet, where Piers was his pillar of strength, his sacrifice was Chris’ deepest blow. Jill said Piers’ recovery from his capsule was one of the few times she saw Chris cry. And now there wasn’t even a tear.

The big brother who could pull through everything was almost crushed by the weight of it all.

“I always remember my promises.” He once said to her when they were still young and fearless.

What were Chris’ promises to Piers? What were Piers’ promises to Chris?

She stood up, opening the drawer from his desk and taking out the treasured artefact of Piers’ blood soaked insignia. Jill said it was his coping mechanism the first time round.

She passed the fabric silently to Chris, noticing how his hand trembled as he recognised and reached for the cherished emblem.

* * *

 

“Piers.”

It was symbolic of everything Piers wanted him to be. Words of his beloved sniper rang in his ear.

_“I did it for the BSAA, for the future.”_

_“You keep this Chris, it had meant my everything.”_

_“My love is always with you.”_

_“We’re partners.”_

_“I’ll miss you, Captain.”_

Everything about Piers came flooding back. The warmth, the encouragement, the memories, the feeling of being loved so thoroughly by another.

And the agony of having that connection severed.

They were soulmates.

“Piers...” He sighed, clutching the emblem to his heart and whispering that name that was so dear and now so distant.

All he wanted was his ace back by his side. That respectful voice with its slightly roughened edge from barking orders over the years. That caramel latte hair he found irresistible to fondle and brush despite Piers’ protests. The dependable silhouette on the battlefield that would be watching his back from any distance. The love of a lieutenant and partner that has exceeded all other love that Chris had felt. The boy he picked for his team, the soldier he lost at the facility, the survivor he rescued from the sea, the lover he reawakened with a kiss.

Only Piers mattered.

There’s a sniper shaped hole in his heart. Piers had meant so much to him that Chris didn’t know how he could face the days beyond with a wound that would never heal. With days that would always be missing the essence of life. That even rays of sunshine and the sound of laughter would remain cold and alien to one haunted by the shadow of loss.

He felt his mind was entrapped in a darkened abyss. Silent and beyond the reach of those around him. Piers would have made it to the gates of heaven, no doubt, with his unwavering morals, selfless love and exemplar of faithfulness.

Perhaps Heaven needed her hero.

More than a Captain needed his partner.

Duty called for his Piers.

Is Piers well? Would he be alone? Would he be scared? Would he be missing him as much as he was right now?

He should sleep, but he is scared of the nightmares, and he couldn’t fathom sleep without the warm body that fitted so snugly in his arms.

So he stared at the badge, at the drops of blood soaked through the map of the world, reminding him of one who made it his mission to give his life for many.

For the BSAA.

For the future.

For me…

...

I’ll always love you, Piers.

* * *

 

Claire gave him space, keeping an eye quietly from the other side of the room as she worked over her papers for TerraSave, giving him the space to grief but the comfort of a sibling’s company. Hearing now and then a choked breath, and many, many a long sigh; the whispers of a name mourned by all of the BSAA. Pier was family to the both of them. Like Chris, she could only distract herself with work to ease the pain, and be the rock that her brother could lean on for a little while. The last bit of light, warmth and colour anchoring his world.

She returned to her room after a few hours, letting Chris rest in his grief. The thought frightened her of leaving her brother alone in an empty room, but he refused the company. She knew he wouldn’t want the traces and memories of Piers to be disturbed.

“C..Claire?” Moira knocked and entered, watery eyes brimming like that of a doe, poised on the verge of tears as she grabbed onto Claire in weakness.

“Hey now, it’s ok Moira.” Claire squeezed a bitter smile out with effort as she buried Moira in her hug. They both needed the human touch in the never-ending string of tragedies.

“I… I’m so sorry… about Piers.” Moira stammered, feeling the escape of tears down Claire’s shirt as her shoulders shook.

“Thank you, Moira.” Claire soothed her down her back, feeling her eyes also finally well up with emotions. Why did Piers have to go so soon?

“I’m so goddamn sorry. It’s all my fucking fault.” Moira squeezed on, choking back the damning words, wishing she could turn back time.

“Nobody would have known it went down so fast. Piers bought us time. If he hadn’t warned everyone the entire facility would have been overrun with much higher casualties.” She tried to assure her. “Moira, you did great! You made a difference. If you hadn’t stunned Carla with Barry’s flashlight, neither Chris nor Jill might still be here. You should be proud of yourself, of taking down Carla, not ashamed.”

“No, it’s really my fucking fault.” Moira let go suddenly, sinking to a mess of tears and wretchedness at the foot of the bed on the carpeted floor.

“Moi—“

“The doctors found a tracker on me… they fucking put a tracker on me. I led Carla straight to the base. It was all my goddamn fault. I should have died in Tatchi and nothing would have been wrong. I fucking hate myself.”

“Go on, tell Chris to shoot me if it makes him feel better. I deserve it. Piers can’t have died. He just can’t! It should have been me! I can’t deal with this shit anymore Claire. I can’t. I feel like absolute shit… like I… like I don’t deserve to live.” She buried her face in her hands.

“Moira…” Claire panicked for a moment with the intensity of Moira’s revelation and emotions and she didn’t know what to do except pull the distraught girl close with a wad of tissues and tried to comfort her. “No, Moira. Carla was the one. Carla would have come for us anyway. What matters is that she’s dead now. If Piers was here, that’s all he would have wanted. He would have traded his life to bring Carla down. You did what he wanted.”

“But if I didn’t get fucking kidnapped in the first place—“

“Moira, we can think of a million what ifs, but it’s not you. It’s never you. We can't blame ourselves for everything. Anyone could have been kidnapped and tracked. You helped us. We still need you for Drake and whatever else Neo Umbrella would bring.”

“Fucking Weskers! He’s a monster like the rest of them bastards! I’m going to fuck that shithead up and shove my crowbar up his ass so hard I’ll rip him a new one. FUCK!!” Moira was in fury. It was Wesker all along. He betrayed her after all they went through. It must have been him who planted the tracker that lead Carla right to their front door.

“That piece of shit is never going to see the light of day when I’m done with him.” She cursed. She honestly thought she did well. She thought he had a chance of changing, but instead she was the cause of everything all along. She brought hurt and grief to the people closest to her yet again.

“Just. I don’t know Claire. Maybe TerraSave was the wrong call. Maybe dad was right. Maybe I’m not fit for bioterrorism after all.”

Claire sighed. Chris, Piers, Moira and herself, and even Jill. They’re all so broken. Can anything in the universe ever go right for a change?

* * *

 

“Claire, I need you to come with me.” Jill said, blue eyes stern and narrowed early the next morning.

“Sure thing Jill, what do you need?” Claire said, approaching her brother’s good friend and partner.

“Chris isn’t in a state fit for investigations, so I’ll need to take over and do what he should have done.” Jill said, putting on a tactical vest and strapping her gear.

“Alright. What is it?” Seeing that Jill was well armed, Claire loaded her shotgun and got herself ready for the field, following Jill out of the compound.

“I want to look for clues. Clues about Piers.” Jill whispered when they’re out of the facility. She was carefully searching the surrounding shrubbery for signs of damage.

“What?” Claire brushed her hair back against the mild breeze in the air.

“I would have asked Chris to come along but I don’t want to disappoint him in case we didn’t find anything. Besides, he’s too grief stricken to investigate.” Jill said. “Help me look for signs of a boa constrictor type creature moving through the bush. Piers got dragged by a snake like BOW out of our sights. Chris brought him back, but we don’t know what he saw or could have missed in the dark. Maybe something happened while he was out of sight.”

Thankfully, there were many tell-tale signs between broken branches of shrubbery, slip marks on the grass and small blackened patches of grass. They followed the marks down the slope.

“Chris said he shot Piers himself. How can there be a possibility he’s alive?” Claire said, following Jill’s path as she quickened the pace.

Jill stopped and stood squarely, staring Claire in her eyes. “Because it’s what Chris would have done. Chris saw me jump off a cliff side with Wesker. It didn’t stop him believing I was alive despite every other person in the BSAA thinking otherwise and even giving me a burial. It’s only fair that I believe in the impossible for his sake, one partner to another. Likewise, top brass at the BSAA wanted to rule that Chris was gone for good. Lost in action. Irretrievable given his memory loss and disappearance on the war torn front line. I could only do so much on my end. Piers did what I couldn’t when he spent six months looking for Chris in Edonia. Piers managed to bring him back, amnesia and all, and restore him as he was. I owe Piers a full investigation as his director. I owe Chris as a partner to never giving up. It’s about time I uphold my end of the bargain and prove that the BSAA care about her agents. I just hope my hunches are right.”

“Alright, I’ll do the best I can to help.” Claire said, watching Jill’s blonde ponytail flutter in the wind, her blue eyes icy and unwavering. She too, had suffered many losses. She too, made peace with what she could, and bore the scars and memories of the past alone, giving up her field agent position to intervene at the board and director level so that they will make the right calls where soldiers’ lives are concerned. So that agents like Chris and Piers are supported when they needed it the most. Jill and Chris are pillars of the BSAA. They stood strong when the other was weak. They will shake the heavens to let things fall into place if they could. She smiled. She had never been more grateful to have Jill by her brother’s side.

“Thank you, Jill. On Chris, and Piers’ behalf.” She said, casting an admired glance.

Jill slowed down and looked around the path, deciding to head towards a small clearing.

“I think this is it.” She waved Claire up as she tripled checked every step and scanned the area.

“Piers is a sniper and an excellent operative. If he had a chance he would have left clues behind.” Jill said.

They looked to the clearing where clear signs of a struggle took place. Some of the areas were singed with brown or blackened grass indicating they had been exposed to high heat.

“Bioelectricity.” Jill said. “I saw his progress reports. He must have taken the BOW down here.”

“It looks huge, if the marks are to be believed,” Claire said, looking at the deep lines in some patches of soil and the destruction of the vegetation.

Jill started taking pictures of the scene, before motioning Claire to come closer.

“Blood.” They said as the examined it. There was only a small splatter of blood, and drip and droplets around the area. It would have been easily missed if not for the grass still being flattened and uneven.

“We should get some of this back to the lab.” Jill said, scooping samples of the grass and bloody soil into specimen containers.

“Yes, we can run DNA tests.” Claire said, with hesitation. “You think that it’s Piers’ blood? That Piers sustained an injury?”

Jill closed her eyes for a moment in thought. “Not that I know of. Chris didn’t say anything and I didn’t recall seeing him with an open wound when Chris brought him back.”

“His uniform is still in Chris’ room.” Claire said. “I’ll check on it and see what I find.”

“Try not to disturb Chris or mention anything yet.” Jill said. “At least not until we have a reasonable conclusion that Piers may still be alive. You know how emotional he can be. Hope is great, but double disappointment is not.”

* * *

 

“Chris?” Claire knocked on Chris’ door and let herself in. Chris was sitting on the bed cross legged, beard unkempt, Piers’ badge in his hands and a neutral look on his face. He was looping a song on his laptop, adding a sense of heavy sentiment in the room. Morbid, perhaps, but at least it’s a sign of life. A form of self-therapy.

No one but you. Queen. Their favourite band.

_One by one, only the good die young_

_They’re only flying too close to the sun._

_And life goes on_

_Without you_

“Claire.” He nodded, but his expression didn’t change.

Claire squeezed out a smile of understanding.

“Hey Chris. Can I check Piers’ uniform for a moment?” She took a step forward, trying to look sincere and gentle.

Chris’ brows furrowed slightly as Claire approached, trying to scan the articles for anything new.

He hissed when Claire touched Pier’s tan jacket and she froze. “It’s ok Chris, I’m not taking it away. I just need to check something.”

He laid back, pillow in hand, walnut brown irises watching her every move as she checked the jacket on the outside, taking note of the stitches that were torn at the shoulder and the two puncture marks on the right forearm. She took pictures, and then started to turn it inside out. There was a smear of dull red up the inside of the sleeve from the puncture. Blood.

She also checked his gloves and Chris sat up when she examined the blood on the fingertips of the left glove and blood streaks around the cuff of the right.

“What the hell?” He said, snatching the glove and looking it over gently.

Claire took a breath before composing herself.

“Chris. I need you to think back. Was Piers bitten, or injured on his arm when you brought him back?” Claire asked in a calm voice.

Chris remembered the flawless body he saw that night, the strong arms that caressed his skin. He checked the unchanged sheets. No blood.

“No. He wasn’t.” he said, the first sign of emotion finally creeping back in his voice. “I’m certain of it.” He added.

Claire gave a small nod of acknowledgement, but she started to ponder. Why wouldn’t Piers say anything to Chris if he got bitten? Even if he healed from it? He had nothing to hide! He could have gotten any medical condition treated rather than struggle with it through the night.

It raised a million questions. Nobody knew what he and Chris did in the events leading up to his mutation either. Was it really Piers who returned?

Jill was right. Piers could have been alive.

She caught the glimmer of light in her brother’s eyes. A speck of dust that was caught a moment too soon, perhaps.

They embraced in the warmth of the afternoon sun, listening to the eternal melody.

…

_There’s a face at the window_

_And I ain’t never, never sayin’ goodbye_

_…_

_Cryin’ for nothing_

_Cryin’ for no one_

_No one but you_

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics of No One but You by Brian May.


	32. Taken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carla celebrates her victory.

Piers Nivans is gone.

It was a win by all counts.

Carla smiled tending to the young, nude male resting under her watch. Stripping him was a necessity, given she could not materialise the intricacies of his gear, but she didn’t mind a chance to study her new subject up close and personal.

It was a major win, on multiple fronts.

She took a moment to adjust her hair from the night wind as the chopper approached their destination. Here in the skies she felt positively invincible. She was the master of the world’s fate, and she had scored a major victory against the BSAA. Not that she needed to, but it was fun nonetheless. Planting false leads, false hope, false despair. Her schemes had all returned fruitful. Unexpectedly so.

What a rendezvous it had been. In a way, her oldest enemies were almost the only friends she had left. She had known them long since beginning her career in viral research.

Jill Valentine- possessor of the progenitor and T-virus antibodies, director of current BSAA operations against her creations.

Chris Redfield- her old pursuer, founder of the BSAA who had met nothing but loss and ruin at her schemes time after time after time. No doubt she would have broken him by her latest ploy in motion.

The final target she considered her greatest possession. It was ironic. She had never considered that someone in the BSAA would dare to inject himself with her perfect virus. To transform into her greatest creation, elevating himself to her level.

Her ultimate weapon.

Piers Nivans of Alpha Team. Marksman, protégé and ace under Chris Redfield. The finest, most promising soldier the BSAA could offer. Everything about him made him a valuable target. It had only taken a little manipulation and quick thinking for his capture. With a bit of luck, perhaps she can keep him for good.

She studied the young soldier at her feet, from his movie hero looks, the soft, coffee brown hair, strong and toned muscle definition and aptitude on the battlefield. Everything about this man screamed perfection. Where were the signs of his mutation, his transformation?

The scientist in her was intrigued. She can’t wait to draw his blood and study his physiology, to run further tests on those powerful limbs and flawless torso.

Hell, how long has it been since _she_ had touched a man? Not that she cared for carnal pleasure anymore. Still, anything to break in her enemy would bring her joy.

* * *

 

Piers awoke to the glaring light of fluorescent tubes in a medium sized clinic. He was located in a corner of the room, lying face up on a small bed. His first instinct was panic when none of his commands to his body took effect. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t feel his limbs.

Fear of the loss of control overwhelmed him. He shuddered in his mind, feeling the terror of conscious paralysis. He allowed himself to panic for all of two seconds before forcing himself to recall what had happened. The bite. The venom in his arm.

This had to be normal. He told himself. Just temporary.

He forced himself to ground his thoughts, recalling the mental training and pain distraction protocols.

Count down from ten.

Name what I see.

White ceiling. A few cracks. A room. Perhaps forty square feet or more. Two sets of twinned fluorescent tubes. Practical. Simple. Hue of a cool white.

He tried to move again.

Nothing.

Was it going to be temporary? Was it just the remnants of the venom that his body was still fighting or did something worse happen? Was he paralysed from neural damage? Was he even in his body?

Keep grounding. He told himself. Snap out of it before the thoughts got out of hand. Sleep paralysis experiences were scary, and being trapped in one awake and not being to escape was downright terrifying. He forced himself to recall the strategies he learnt from his Special Forces training.

I will get out of here. I will stand the test. I will overcome whatever awaits me. Help is on the way against the odds.

Chris will help me. He will come for me.

“Chris, where are you?” He thought, trying to recall the episode. He remembered being dragged off by the BOW, Chris’ pained voice still in his ear as he fought Carla with Jill. He conquered the Illuzjia. He hoped they prevailed. He had been captured, but this isn’t the end. He’ll fight it while he could. Better him than Chris. Was help going to come? Where would they know where to find him?

As he accustomed to the idea of paralysis he focused his mind instead to the hive mind collective, trying to make use of his new abilities to gather intel in another way. He copied the camouflage of the Iluzjia’s biosignature and hid himself, scanning the nearby entities for information.

There were pockets of J’avo scattered about. He was probably at a compound or a lab of some sort. Just how many facilities did Neo Umbrella have? What had they already done to him? He could sense the signatures of several powerful BOWs, in the same class as Iluzjia’s. He could sense the presence of a very powerful BOW, one equal, perhaps even superior to him in power and awareness. He stayed well out of her way. Carla Radames must be near.

He sighed. So it was true. Carla Radames had come for the BSAA. That meant she survived the encounter with Jill and Chris. Was the BSAA branch overrun? Were his officers captured too?

He forced himself to stay calm and not panic. Telling himself to focus. Hearing the old drill instructor’ voice screaming in his ears as if he was still at the academy. He controlled his breathing and tried to think. If Carla came on the offensive that meant her plans were ready, or it was another step closer. She would only involve the BSAA in her games if she thinks she has the upper hand. That she did, if his predicament was any indication. They had almost no intel on her, no location. Parker and Sheva had sent some info, and they should have destroyed the Bangladesh facility by now, but her apparent apathy to that loss only served to tell them how powerful she was. Parker’s intel suggested she was a BOW that had integrated the essence and power of thousands of infected. Who would have hope to fight something like that off?

It’s got to be me. He thought, as he kept his mental faculties alert. Kaison said from the beginning the key to his power was in his mindfulness. He had no idea how, but if Chris and Jill had failed it was up to him. He has the power of Haos, and that monstrosity was probably created out of thousands of bodies, if the giant chrysalid it hatched out of and its refusal to die were any sign of its significance.

I need to fight the venom. I need to regain control and get out of here.

He worked his mind, trying to send command to his limbs, to his body. Get off this bed and find a way back. If he’s lucky, maybe do some infiltration for intel. Leave his own biosignature somewhere to trace and follow.

Come on, I can do this.

He was still physically exhausted and depleted from the fight yesterday. He was afflicted with hunger, thirst and mental fatigue. Despite all that, he had to fight on. He strained his neck and finally could turn his head lightly as he scanned the room.

His feet were hanging off the small bed. He was naked, without even his dog tags. None of this gear was with him. There was a bench in the corner, a number of used syringes and needles. Scalpels. Blood stained gauze and mats. He squirmed as he tried to checked his body over for damage. What had they done? Taken blood no doubt. Biopsy samples perhaps. He told his body to heal whatever it could. He could regenerate with the aid of the C-virus. Hopefully it was nothing lasting.

He tried his hardest to wriggle his fingers and move his feet. He was used to this, having practiced the exercise multiple times a day before he regenerated his arm. He was still unrestrained. Whoever kept him there either had a strong confidence in their abilities or the paralysing power of the venom.

He thought he could just start to wriggle his fingers and limbs when he heard the door open and heels clicked into the room.

He stared straight up as the footsteps made themselves to his side, and Carla’s raven coloured hair flew across his vision as she leaned down to stare into his eyes with a satisfied smirk.

“I see you’re awake. What a surprise, Piers Nivans. What a surprise.”

She walked over to the surgical instruments and put the tray away for sterilisation and disposal, getting a new tray out from a drawer.

She came back with a chart and looked him over.

“Honestly I’m surprised you lived this long as Redfield’s sidekick. What happened to his perfect record of losing everyone on his team?” She sneered.

Piers felt a sense of rage as she mocked his captain, but he told himself to remain calm. That was just Carla’s way of messing with him. Something he had to once remind Chris of. He kept thinking back to the first time they met in Edonia. If only they shot her then, their whole team would have stayed intact…

“Your old captain is no more. He is a useless wreck of a man, never being able to accomplish anything he set his mind to. Past his prime I’m afraid.”

Lies, he told himself.

She traced her long nail down his exposed torso, drawing a red line over the creamy flesh.

“You had a thing for Chris, didn’t you?” She sneered, watching the hurt in his eyes as she left light scratches over the taunt skin. “You seemed the type that would do anything for him. A soldier’s love. Putting himself in danger time after time to protect his captain in vain.”

“I broke him. It didn’t take much. He saw ‘you’ die in front of his eyes.” She stroked her hair absent-mindedly, recalling the pain and heartache she saw on Chris’ face, admitting to herself for a moment that she was touched by their bond. She was proud of her little deception and quick thinking. Her metamorphic clone didn’t have much in the way of combative abilities, but she got information she needed, and planted the psychological wounds she wanted. Only she would know which parts of her words, her spoken pain were genuine and which parts were acting. Besides, with the BSAA thinking Piers was dead, whatever happens to him from here on will be entirely at her discretion.

Piers was confused. Surely Carla was messing with him. He wanted to scream back, but his jaw was still locked for speech.

Carla smiled and for a moment her features morphed to look just like Piers, staring back at himself.

“He was forced to shoot you with his own gun as you lost control and mutated before his eyes. It was a death you always wanted, perhaps.” Seeing the horror and disbelief in his eyes, Carla smiled, turned back and sat at a stool next to him, resting her head in her supported palm as she studied his reactions.

“ _I_ made Chris Redfield kill his lover.” She brushed his hair lightly, as a mother might do to a child. “It was too much for him perhaps. Who knows how Redfield would put himself back together now that you’re gone. And the best part? I can keep you for myself now.”

Piers felt rage and sadness rising in his heart. That was probably the worst thing one could do to Chris. He had to watch him mutate and stay behind once. Having to put a bullet in himself… after the times he couldn’t do it back in Edonia and China, he knew Chris would crack. He lost track of what Carla said and thought of Chris, seeing him clearly in his mind’s eye, sullen and dejected in the room they shared, staring into space and not being able to eat or look after himself. He would probably never smile or laugh again. He had to get out. He had to set things right. Damn you Carla. Damn you to hell!

“I wonder how much time he had to enjoy this body I wonder? And all this time I was thinking he could be mine one day…”

She laughed at Piers’ bewilderment. “Oh don’t get the wrong idea my boy. I don’t need men. Men are pathetic.” She spat, digging her nails into Piers’ sides, almost drawing blood if he hadn’t been strengthened. “Men are weak, emotional, hot headed, selfish and greedy. Chris, Simmons, they are all the same. You too, I see, would only follow in their wake.

Simmons would have been mine, if the old bones made it through. He would have made a good servant. He wanted me to serve him, so my plan instead was for him to live on and serve me. Sadly, he never made it that far.

Because of that, the position is now vacant. I can already see you’re a stronger applicant than he was.” She grinned, flicking her hair flirtingly.

“I would rather see your pretty face than that old bastard’s anyhow.” She traced a finger along Piers’ sternum, feeling the ridges of his ribs bump beneath the painted nail. Piers could feel the touch and pressure as his body fought the venom and raced to clear it out of his system.

“So how did it come by that you were injected with my enhanced C-virus… and survived to tell the tale?” She asked, staring into his eyes and waving the lab report.

“You weren’t supposed to gain mastery over the virus that easily, if at all.” She squinted at him, getting her face close and leaning over his chest to stare him at the face. “Thousands of subjects had fallen from its precursors. You are one lucky boy.”

“Tell me. What is it about you that made you survive?” She reached a hand and brushed back Piers’ fringe, a rare, affectionate gesture that only the Captain had done to him. “What made you endure what no man could have? If Simmons was half the man you were, he’d have a true second chance.” She cupped his cheek, lightly grazing her fingers over the overnight stubble.

She stood back up and crossed her arms. “It’s a good finding nonetheless. Maybe it was fate, the hour that I thought I lost it all was the hour I recovered everything. Just when I needed to reboot project C, the last ingredient made its way back to me.”

She approached him with another needle. “I’ll need more of your blood. Sorry cutie, I can’t let you just slip away.”

With an experienced touch she found a vein on Pier’s arm and injected the thick gauge needle in. It hurt, but Piers willed himself to not show any feeling of weakness. He felt his own lifeblood rush out of him, filling four large sample tubes slowly. She had to have taken a pint or more, and if she had already drawn blood yesterday when he was out, it would have made him even weaker.

She withdrew the needle satisfactorily, cradling the warm, virile blood of Piers to her bosom. She lifted the arm and squeezed a drop of blood out of the wound, brushing it on her finger, grinned and licked it off, savouring its taste.

“Sweet. A hint of caramel. Maybe this is why Redfield got so hooked.” She arched her brows, and fed the blood into vials at an instrument.

Piers felt his eyelids grow heavier. He felt his heart pumping just a little harder from losing so much blood, and he was light headed, wanting to pass out from thirst and exhaustion. Was this how she will keep him weak and powerless? Draining off all his life blood a pint at a time?

I need to stay up. He told himself, hoping his body can regenerate the blood and replenish what he had lost.

Carla drew out a number of white injectors, and Piers recognised the glint of metal. He had seen them in his nightmares day in day out.

She was making more of the enhanced C-virus from his blood.

“Recognise your old friend?” She asked waving one of the injectors around.

“It would have taken years to remake the virus after Quad Tower got destroyed. But now, between your precious lifeblood and my little creation, a day is all I need.” She pondered what experiments she can run on Piers. She couldn’t risk contaminating his blood yet of course, until she has what she needs. She will need to inject Wesker with the virus and complete the transformation she needed him to since so long ago.

There only needs to be one Ultimate bioweapon.

She will get the pleasure of toying with the spare; and killing would be such a waste.

She injected Piers with a small vial of something and forced a glass of water down his throat, casting a glance to the clock on the wall.

Piers felt his senses returning with the injection. Perhaps it was part of the anti-venom for him to regain control. He felt he could move his limbs and shift, but he refrained to wait for a better moment.

“So humour me. Why did you inject yourself with the C-virus? Isn’t the BSAA all about fighting bioweapons?”

Piers ignored the question, focusing his mind instead to ready his body for combat. Bioelectricity, reflexes, camouflage. Anything to help him escape.

“You know, the BSAA has no chance against me. You are too late the moment I resurfaced. My plans are perfect. They can never be undone by another else. Your recovery and capture has just hastened the plot.” She grinned, seeing the disappointment on Piers’ face.

“Oh yes, Redfield has a knack of sending me the _perfect_ test subjects to advance my work… he has a knack for picking his men alright, what with the feeble weak mind of his…”

“Shut up.” Piers couldn’t help it. Silence was probably the wiser answer, but he’d be damned if he’d just sit there and accept insults about his captain.

“Oh? But the loyal lieutenant is upset I speak the truth of his captain?” Carla spoke in a patronising tone.

“The poor little soldier who got left behind and forgotten while his fool of a commander chose his old hag of a partner over you?”

She struck something in Piers with those words, but he ignored it. He was not forgotten damn it!

“Here in China there’s a saying that new clothes are better than the old; but old friends are better than new. They also say that lovers can change like fashion, but brothers stick together like limbs. What did Chris treat you as? He failed you on both counts. Even I could see what that decision meant. Redfield chose his old girl, his true partner over you. You’re just a little play thing he worked out his kink with. Rather like a puppy one can buy and entertain for a season and then give the boot when it got too attached, possessive and annoying…”

God the woman was pressing multiple of his triggers at once. How was she so good at being infuriating!

“I bet he’s wouldn’t even look for you if he knew you were alive, not that he could anyway after what we did to him…”

“Shut it CARLA!” Piers finally retorted in rage. Lies. It was all lies. It would take more than that to overrun Chris and Jill at a BSAA base.

Carla was quiet for a moment as she heard her real name for the first time since… since forever. Her identity had always nagged at her, but it was a trigger. A deeply suppressed and taboo subject. With the name, bits of the suppressed memories started to come crashing back.

“What did you just say?”

“You mean you don’t even know who you were? Your name is Carla Radames. Not this Ada Wong bullshit that Simmons made you believe.” He finally found the chink in her armour.

“You lie. I _am_ Ada Wong! Simmons wanted _me_ , but he’ll never have me!”

Piers shook his head slightly. “Look at yourself, you don’t even know who you are. How do you know what you wanted to do is what you really wanted to do?”

“I’ll offer you a choice, Piers. You are one of the few who can survive when the world go to shit. Stay with me, and I’ll let you rule this Earth with me in a new age.”

“Carla. You and I both know that this is never going to come true. Love doesn’t work that way. You of all people should know that.”

Carla responded in anger. “I am Ada Wong, and I’m not asking for your love. I’m asking for your servitude.”

“That’s all you know, isn’t it?” Piers said defiantly.

Carla glared at him. “I wanted to give all of myself to Simmons. I was everything he wanted and more, but in the end, he only wanted Ada Wong to serve him. It was all lies and manipulation. He wanted me to grovel at his feet. So I made myself powerful and independent, and set myself to ruin him. I made the choices that matter, and I dominated him. Now I have power. Only power matters. Only those with power get to make their choices and ideals come true. So you see, this isn’t about love. This is about power.”

Piers sighed. “You’re right. You have your justice. Simmons is dead. You don’t need to go any further. All those villages you wiped out. All those people you killed. All these attacks you still send to the cities- that is beyond justice. Give it up, Carla. We can and we will stop you.”

“You say you chose love. Don’t you see your own betrayal? How did you end up here? You sacrificed yourself twice now and used my virus for his sake. In the end? Who did he choose to save? Why did he still choose Jill over you? You _know_ the answer to that. Admit it, you’ve been betrayed just as I had.”

Piers was silent for a moment, and Carla grinned, until he spoke up again with determination. Words that Chris will probably never hear, but words that need to be declared, nonetheless.

“What matters to me is that _I_ make the right choice. Whether the captain chose me or not, whether he loves me or not, I did what I did for his sake, not mine. There is no betrayal when I expected nothing in return.” He didn’t say anymore. Love means trust, and he would always trust Chris. Even if Chris moved on after he died at the facility, he would go with his wish and his blessing. Whether Chris chose Jill didn’t matter. What mattered was that Chris was alive and well. Carla wouldn’t understand that kind of love. She wouldn’t understand the inspiration Chris had been to him since his youth, since the first day he reported to the BSAA.

Carla shut him out. She couldn’t believe in the concept of a selfless love. Surely no love is selfless. Surely nobody would throw their lives away for another’s sake.

“I am Ada Wong. I am choosing to be Ada Wong. Nothing you say will matter. Nothing about my past will matter when I have the future in my hands. As for you, you will submit to me.” With that, she gazed into his eyes and launched an assault in his mind. None who had the C-virus could stand up to her control. Obedience was wired in the altered genetic code. She is the Queen. She will be his master. He will be her servant, by will, or by force.


	33. Clash of Ideals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Piers suffers a telepathic assault from Carla. Meanwhile, members of the BSAA teams up towards developing more effective weaponry against Carla.

“Ugh! Ahhh!” Pier felt his vision fade away as Carla’s consciousness latched directly in his mind, his very sense of being in the hive collectiveness. It was as if her voice came from within, threatening to reach the innermost parts of him that he had always regarded private.

“You shall be mine, whether you resist or not.” Her consciousness grew brighter, trying to extend and project into Piers’ own conscience. Seeking to infiltrate his mind, his beliefs, his memories…

Piers almost lost control at the initial, unexpected assault. He felt he was drowning in his consciousness, losing his identity of self, his mission, his memories to one seemingly greater in magnitude than his own. Almost instantly, the instinct for survival kicked in and he stood his ground. He may not have launched or fended off against a psychic assault before, but he had been well versed in concentrating and honing his mind as an officer, as a Special Forces member and recently to battle against his infection. The BSAA’s finest sniper had few rivals when it came to concentration.

“Get away from me!” He rejected the indoctrination, resisting the projection of Carla’s overwhelming presence in his consciousness, and as he did he felt his own conscience glow, matching in strength and standing against the unwelcomed invader.

“Give it up Carla, you will never have me!” His face was contorted, his teeth clenched as he held on against the waves of power threatening to rip his identity to shreds, threatening to erase all that he was and had achieved to become just another mindless minion.

“Ugh.” He recoiled as his weakened body and bruised psyche tried to withstand the assault, like a solitary rock in the middle of an ocean, battered by waves from both sides. It was him alone against Carla and her power. He had no friends, no allies, nobody to help.

“Carla, you’ve got to remember…” Feeble as it was, he held onto himself. He latched onto what he knew of himself. The things that mattered.

I am Piers Nivans. The proud firstborn of four generations of Nivans who have lived and died for our country. First Lieutenant and sniper in the BSAA; making a difference in protecting the world from the clutches of bioterrorism. Part of Alpha Team in North America Branch. I am a soldier fighting against bioterrorism and I will give it everything I have to my dying breath. I am the partner of Chris Redfield.

“Chris..….” He felt strength recalling the name of his commander, lover and partner. He felt so alone in his struggle. It was almost Edonia all over again.  Fragments of words, memories swamped and fused together in his consciousness. Moments he danced between life and death

_“Piers, look after Chris. Stay at his side. As long as you are together… you will make it through.”_

_“… to fight bioterrorism, Sir.”_

_“It’s about time someone took my place. I’d be honoured if it was you.”_

_“I need you to look after Chris.”_

_“You can still make it out! God damn it Piers!”_

_“Take my badge, Captain.”_

_“You’ve made it this far, haven’t you? This is it.”_

“Chris!!” He felt a trace of comfort recalling the Captain’s words. This was it. He has to fight the battle in Chris’ place. Chris trusts him, he’ll do him proud.

“Back off, Carla. You need to remember who you were. Not who Simmons made you to be!!” He projected the thought to Carla amidst the endless assault in his mind. All the invitations for him to give up and surrender his body and his will.

“Let it go, Piers. Join me in this new world, accept what is already part of your body. Let the virus take hold. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.”

_“Hang in there! Piers!”_

“No! I won’t! I did it- for the BSAA! For the future!” He repeated in determination what he once said to Chris, to himself, to anyone who ever doubted it.

“I did it for the Captain!! My humanity is still my greatest asset. Try to remember, Carla. You too were human once…”

“Carla, Carla, always Carla! Carla is gone! My name is ADA WONG!!” She unleashed a barrage of mental shockwaves as her anger flared, leaving Piers stunned and recoiling.

_“I’ll always love you, Piers!”_

“Chrissss!” He had to fight this, not just for himself, but for Chris. Chris needs him. More than he needed himself.

‘Hang on Piers’. He told himself. ‘I’m a fucking Green Beret. I’m in Alpha Team of the BSAA. We will never! Give! It! Up!’

He has to hold the line, it’s up to him now. This isn’t like the escape pods. He knew Chris is not OK. Chris will need him back… nobody else can rebuild him…

“My name is Carla Radames…” A small voice rang out between Piers and Carla. A small fragment of the identity that Carla had hidden from had finally awakened. It was the beliefs and ideas that were once abandoned, banished to the deepest parts of her mind, but as Ada grew in power, so did Carla. The stronger Ada grew, the weaker her ability to hold herself together, to maintain mastery over herself.

“Lies! I AM ADA WONG!!” The voice was immediately drowned by Ada’s voice as her tempers flared, trying to drown out any who dare speak against her.

The small voice of Carla continued despite the threat. “I was a young researcher, pursuing nothing but approval and results. I believed the C-virus could change the world. I believed I was doing good. I believed Derek Simmons had noble goals. I perfected the virus under his beliefs. I thought it was a necessary part of the arms race, that the government should stay ahead to maintain world peace.”

“And look how naïve that view was, when that which was supposed to protect because that which was used to destroy, like every other weapon ever developed.” Ada cursed. “The cycle of violence and instability will only continue in the power game of Simmons. War and suffering will only end when I reign as Queen.”

“Piers was right. When I gave myself I didn’t expecting anything in return…”

“Yes. You did! You wanted his love! You wanted his acknowledgement! I… wanted his love. I thought it was worth it…” Ada said to her own apparition.

“All I ever wanted was love. Somebody to notice me, not my results. If I wasn’t enough, then I found my value through work, through sacrifice…” Carla said.

It was enough of an opening. As Ada argued down Carla, Piers gathered himself and disengaged from the connection. It was like closing the door on an intrusive visitor who was once making a scene in his home. He sighed, finally getting some control back to his body and regained his motor functions.

“Not so fast, Piers.” Carla was back too, seeing Piers trying to move off the table.

“Looks like I underestimated you and your recovery.” She said.

Piers sat up, arms raised to defend himself. He wanted to summon his electricity as a shield of sorts, but he was too exhausted mentally and physically to do so.

“It’s no use resisting.” Carla’s arm mutated until it formed a sharp blade. “Lie down or I’ll hurt you.”

Piers thought he had a chance. He jumped, trying to get to the doorway before Ada could stop him. His hand was on the handle, wrestling to get it open.

Until he felt his right arm impaled at the end of Ada’s blade against the door.

He cried out in pain, the blade had pierced his bicep once again, and blood was dripping down his naked torso, the few pints of precious blood he had left in his body. He started to feel weak, and if it wasn’t for being impaled he would have sank to his knees.

Carla withdrew the blade, and with surprising strength threw him back onto the bed.

“You want to make it hard on yourself, be my guest.” She spat at him.

“Ahhhhh!” Piers screamed as another needle released its contents to his body. The venom. Locking him up in paralysis again.

“Damn you Carla…”

‘I need to get through this. I can regenerate through this.’ He willed himself to believe. Simmons had suffered through much worse. He himself had suffered through much worse. In the face of holding on and surrendering, there was no option. Chris needs him.

“You’re still resisting. Trust me, you would wish you’d have passed out long before.”

Piers wish he could pass out. He couldn’t even scream at that pain that burned through his body, his consciousness, his soul. He felt as if his body was on fire, every fibre of his muscles being torn apart. His mind was assaulted with the pain of his body but also a feeling of dread, panic and fear. He was hearing screams in his head, sounds of violence, the haunting laugh of Carla that remained in the air even after she turned and left, clutching at her head and repetitively waving her arm as if to fend off invisible demons.

He passed out. Or so he thinks.

* * *

 

“You must be Quint Cetcham. Jill has spoken highly of your technological prowess. It’s good to have you join us all the way from HQ, and I’m sorry we couldn’t have given you a warmer welcome.” Kaison said as he shook hands with the bold and bald technologist, wearing a simple plain T-shirt, brown cargo pants and his dog-tags.

“Don’t worry about that welcome crap, kid. I’ve been in the BSAA almost from the start. I’ve seen us through our ups and downs.” He nodded. “Kaison right? Our last line of defence against decoding the C-virus.” Quint smiled and sat as they both readied their tablets computers.

“I wouldn’t say I’m the last line. At best, I can help understand some of its mysteries, but we need a team to beat this thing.” He started typing away and linked his files to the database for Quint’s access.

“Jill scheduled this meeting so we can explore a more effective way to fight against C-virus infected creatures, even those infected with the enhanced C-virus like Carla, Simmons or Subject C.” Kaison continued. “Your arrival would have been perfect timing, except for the tragedy about Piers…” He sighed. It was tough to have lost his friend after fighting so hard together and almost besting the virus. There was absolutely no reason for him to suddenly turn and lose control like that unless something happened during the fight.

Quint nodded “I understand, mate. I supposedly came out here to outfit him with some new gear, but seeing Chris so down and the way Jill tiptoes around him and the issue, it’s sure a hard loss.”

“It’s really tough. Piers is a lynchpin of the North American branch. You probably heard at European HQ a while ago about Chris going MIA in Edonia. Piers was the one who searched all six months to bring him back. A day later he sacrificed himself for Chris in that mission in China, saving the world by using the Enhanced C-virus on himself. The lieutenant’s got guts, and he almost made a full recovery from an advanced stage of mutation.” He paused, side-tracked in his thoughts by the sadness of Piers’ loss.

“Anyway.” He shook his head and tried to get back to the topic. “We need to develop a way of taking down Carla and the infected if she came back. It was something we were going to work with Piers over, but he would have wanted us to continue even in his absence.”

“Didn’t Jill say Moira, Chris and herself killed Carla during that attack?”

“It may be so, but Carla surely is tougher than that. She didn’t have a weakness to conventional weaponry. Sheva and Parker said that they headshotted her and she shrugged it off in Cambodia.”

“Holy shit. She lived through a headshot?”

“Ada Wong said Carla could spawn seemingly infinite clones of herself. Given Carla’s preference for caution and penchant for experimentation It’s very possible the attack on our base was launched only by a clone and not the real Carla. She defies everything we had ever known about BOWs. I may have forgotten, but the only other instance where a BOW had clones was the tyrant form of the T-Abyss virus that Jill and Chris fought down at the Queen Dido.”

“Heh, I fought T-Abyss too. I get ya. This will be an interesting challenge. So, plan of attack?”

“Our hunch from all the intel we gathered is that Carla and most C-viral afflicted creatures has a weakness to light or and electricity. Moira was able to stun Carla with her high lumen tactical torch, and Jill pushed her electric stun rod all the way through Carla. Derek Simmons was disabled and significantly weakened by repeated lightning strikes on top of a building. Piers used his bioelectricity to paralyse and eventual defeating Haos. Even both of the Illuzjias that showed up were defeated by electricity. We need to somehow harness and create weaponry that can take advantage of these facts.”

“Electricity eh? Been a while since I built an electric gun. I have rigged up a prototype amplifier that I thought Piers could use but… guess it’s back to square one. You have any idea about how electricity affects their physiology?”

“I don’t know too much.” Kaison said. “In Haos’ case it disrupted its electrolyte balance so its liquid armor became ineffective. In Carla’s case it seemed to disrupt her ability to shapeshift or undergo cellular regeneration and be unaffected by bullet wounds.”

“How about application?” Quint asked.

“We have two leads. Agent Merah Biji had a prototype method of dealing damage more effectively vs BOWs but it was incomplete when she passed. I haven’t been able to understand much of it. Maybe you could take a look and see if it made sense to you.” He copied the files across.

Quint glossed over the files. “Sorry, I’m just an engineer, stuff like that goes right through my head.”

“In that case I’ll have to get the opinion from our old PhD advisor. She had been researching extensively on the physiology of mutated creatures. She might be inclined to help out, repay the favour Chris and Piers gave her a few years ago.”

“Wait, your PhD advisor… you mean…”

“Professor Rebecca Chambers, Department of biochemistry at Philosophy University, and also an advisor to the BSAA. Merah and I did our PhD with her.”

“Well damn. Small world isn’t it. A Raccoon city survivor. With the three of us on board. I say we have a fighting chance. Now that you mentioned Rebecca… I think I have an idea. You think an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) type warhead/ ammo would work?”

“Possibly.” Kaison shrugged. “Obviously electronics won’t survive that one so we’d have to be careful about using vehicle or for deployment, but considering the stun rod generated enough current to disable Carla the magnitude of it probably won’t have to be all that big. It was really just to set up a killing blow in Simmons’, Haos’ and Carla’s case.

“I’ll get to it and tinker away.” Quint said. “Got a good workshop here?”

“Some of the best. For everything else, you’ve been in the BSAA longer than I have and Jill’s big bankroll.” Kaison said. “This is way out of my league, so best of luck, and I’ll get in touch with Rebecca. We probably need to develop prototypes for personnel and vehicle deployment. Good luck.”

“Oh you just wait. This is gonna be awesome. EMP bombs on their way!” The tech specialist drummed his fingers on the table and started scribbling plans.

* * *

 

**Email from Rebecca to Kaison**

Hi Jill and Kaison,

I’ve heard about the mini reunion happening over at Sichuan! With things all ramping up it’s time I do my bit.

I’m very, very sorry to hear about what happened to Piers. He is a strong agent, a valiant member of the BSAA, loyal to our course, a fine model of a soldier, and a solid, well matched partner to Chris through the past few years. He was a pleasure to work with back in 2011. Our university is in debt to what they did for us and I’m truly saddened of his loss.

The fight will continue on his behalf. Based on the spectra and Piers’ blood samples you sent me I did detect some rather interesting toxins. I haven’t encountered these classes of compounds since the Spencer mansion and related work.

Analysis shows the toxin is an extremely potent neurotoxin capable of inducing muscular paralysis without lasting damage to the host. Only a small amount is required to fully lock down an adult male in seconds for a period of at least several hours, if not days. Frankly I believe it’d be almost impossible for Piers to be walking moments after like you reported if he was indeed bitten. However I am aware Piers’ physiology had undergone fundamental changes and his immune system also had adapted somewhat to viral and foreign agents so I’m not ruling anything out.

I’m on my way to visit you guys very shortly. I haven’t caught up with Jill in years and I hear Barry’s girl is there too. Hopefully I can make use of my advisor status and give you guys some support on your tech development, see how Chris is doing, and to help in some big and small ways.

Best wishes,

Rebecca Chambers

* * *

 

**End of Chapter file unlock: Carla Radames’ biography, Part 1- The early years**

Carla Radames was born to brilliant, secluded parents, both of whom worked at a renowned private hospital. Her father was a surgeon who collaborated heavily with university researchers regarding the implantation and clinical trials of medical devices and treatments procedures. Her mother was a tech specialist who analysed and kept track of blood work, microscopy, instrumental and physiological data from the trials.

Carla was a gifted, intellectual child. With the research eating up the bulk of her parent's time, Carla spent her youth wandering in and out of research labs watching her parents at work analysing data and discussing their findings. Unbeknownst to them she quickly made sense of what they did, but kept it to herself. The hospital was a lonely place, and frequently mingling with the dead and dying along with human research subjects made Carla develop a rather cold persona regarding relationships and people, seeing them as little more than test subjects, spectra and numbers to be analysed and studied.

Neglect from parents and isolation from a healthy environment meant that Carla was a serial loner. Her performance at school was above and beyond the standards of the curriculum and given her behaviour issues in a crowd she was instead home schooled by her parents and associates. Before long she was a part of their research teams. At first it was unofficial, but her curiosity and competence earned her the trust to lead her own project to pursue an interesting lead. With advise and recommendations from her parent’s university associates, she was awarded a doctorate by the age of 15 based on landmark developments from her project which were jointly published with her father.

Through the university connections she was offered a prestigious position to research at the Simmons Foundation. As a results driven young woman who had neither peers she could relate to or friends that understood her, this type of secretive research suited Carla and her family just fine. She spent the following years working on the effects of viruses on exposed subjects.

Her competence and intelligence put her under the watchful eye of National Security Advisor Derek C. Simmons and he took over as her supervisor, assigning her expertise for development of viral agents and bio-organic weapons in his personal labs. Carla believed her work was important for the work of protecting national interests based on the lines fed by Simmons. She quickly made promising findings, and from 2001 they set about creating a new viral strain that would have the benefits but not the weaknesses of previous strains. In this time she also developed an unrequited infatuation for Simmons due to his approval and pleasure in her findings.

She eventually improved the t-Veronica virus, and combined it with a sample of the G-virus to develop the C-virus prototype, one that has the ability to create unique mutations and possibilities, the strongest of which was for subjects to maintain sentience and even obey orders. In time the possibilities of the C-virus to create new lifeforms and different strains were outlined, and the genetic carrying capacity of the virus was refined to the point that it can transfer a significant amount of human DNA.

The chrysalid transformation process, unique to the C-virus meant that the subject’s organic matter could be completely mutated and rearranged to form new lifeforms depending on the DNA it received. Early trials revealed the potential of human to human DNA transference.

In the name of National Security, Simmons ordered Carla to exhaust all avenues of research to the possibility of creating a human doppelganger. However it was soon revealed this required a degree of genetic matching between the DNA donor and recipient, and the matching and refinement process required thousands of human subject experiments and years of development to get closer and closer. In the meantime they also developed a number of different strains of BOWs, but field data of their performance were not collected to keep things secret and avoid arousing suspicion.

Simmons and Carla became intimate, to the point that she was not suspect when eventually Simmons asked Carla to volunteer to be a test subject after confirming her DNA was a match. He reassured her that she would survive with her abilities intact.

As Derek was the only one who had really shown a personal interest to Carla she quickly agreed. All she had to live for was his approval and her results, and her participation allowed her to pursue both. However, when the true intentions of the procedures were revealed, she panicked and tried to back out, but it was too late and she was forcibly injected with the virus.

After her body formed a chrysalid, Ada Wong’s DNA was transfected onto Carla using the C-virus. The experiment was successful. She emerged from the chrysalid in a human form, and the C-virus gave her not only Ada Wong’s appearance, but also her genetic code and even matching fingerprints. Unable to remember anything, Simmons told her about her amnesia and her identity as a top USSS spy who lost her memory at a mission and helped her discover herself, finally conditioning and implanting into her the subservient Ada Wong persona he wanted since years ago.

Carla, now known as ‘Ada Wong’, completed Simmons’ training to become a capable spy agent and scientist with a natural aptitude for both. Simmons gave her vast amounts of resources at her disposal both from national assets, and his own resources from the Simmons Foundation and even capital from The Family. Although Simmons trusted her, they were never intimate like she felt she had remembered, and she soon began to spot inconsistencies and flaws in Simmon’s lies. Eventually she put her spy training to use and began investigations behind Simmons’ back, finding Simmon’s true intention behind ‘Project Ada’ of enslaving ‘Ada Wong’ and began her quest for vengeance.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Carla's bio is a combination of what was inferred/ given in game along with some of my own headcanon to fill in the blanks. I felt this was a necessary part of understanding her thoughts and motives.


	34. Broken Shell

"The time has come, Subject C."

He stared at the white metal injector before him. The Enhanced C-virus.

“With this you will become far more powerful than anything you have seen or thought. You shall become the ultimate weapon.”

What was the purpose of this, he wondered.

“This transformation should have begun months ago, but it’s never too late.”

She held the injector and took a step towards him.

Fear rose from somewhere within. A strange, alarming sensation. He had never felt afraid of anything, but he suddenly had a desire to run, to fight, to break free from this.

“No. Stay back.” He found himself saying.

Why was he resisting?

"Not you too." Carla said with disappointment. “First Piers, now you? Free will is a gift and a curse. It’s just a prick, and then it’ll all be over. You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain."

He could run for it. He’s fast. She can’t catch him.

He took a step, but even before he touched the door he sank to his knees in pain.

“How dare you resist me!” She gazed into his eyes and brought him under control with a gaze.

Drake fought the domination in his mind but it was futile. Her hold was strong, her will was overbearing. He couldn’t resist. He was made to obey her.

But there are some things that were still worth fighting for.

“Don’t shy from perfection, Subject C. You were made for this.”

The same sense of despair and helplessness coursed through his body. This was not the first time this happened.

She approached Drake, plunged the injector loaded with Piers’ newly refined Enhanced C-virus and released its contents.

This is it.

* * *

In that last moment of the injection Drake felt something finally unlock in his memories, and sensations, emotions came flooding right back in that still moment on the verge of his transformation.

Moira was right. He had a life. He had an identity.

He had worked under Derek C. Simmons, National Security Advisor, climbing his way up from a promising grad researcher to principal scientist.

Poetic justice it was.

He had a girl once. A girl with large round eyes and a simple heart who believed in him. Believed what he did was for the greater good in the name of national security, that even the questionable research and the human sacrifices would ultimately work for securing national interest.

She endured the long nights he had in his lab, time spent on work instead of planning their futures.

She endured his frustrations and lashings when nothing worked out in his projects.

She stood by his side when their identities were wiped for ‘protection.’

She gave him all of herself to the end, yet he had failed her.

He was helpless while they took her away. For both their good, they said, as they took her as yet another subject for Carla’s experiment.

He couldn’t save her from being another victim.

And he couldn’t even remember her name after all she’s done, except that a piece of his soul had gone with her since that day.

So he sought revenge through another way.

Project Ada, experiment 12235.

It was he who secretly tested Carla’s compatibility to the C-virus, and let slip the result to Simmons.

He made Project Ada a success, and Carla Radames was no more.

Or so he thought.

If only Simmons had listened to him earlier. That Ada’s plans were fast diverging from his intentions. Instead, he trusted her with everything.

Did Carla really remember what happened? Nobody really knew, but since he remembered now, so she must have remembered then.

He was bound, sedated and brought to her. She was so different. The quiet, slightly timid, socially inept blonde now turned to the stern, heartless Asian spy she was indoctrinated to be.

“You were the one who chose me as a test subject, weren’t you?”

He should have stood his ground and played it cool, but in hindsight, there was really no right answer.

“No, no no! It was Simmons! He forced me to! Please! Don’t do this!”

“Believe it or not, I said the exact same thing.”

She remembered.

The cycle was complete as his world, his memories and identity slowly disintegrated. He became Subject C, reborn into the identity of a man he never thought he’d become. As he felt the needle pierce his jugular vein, it was time for his second transformation. He had no idea what he’s going to turn into this time.

“I’m sorry, Moira. I should have remembered.”

* * *

Clink.

Clink. Clink.

Clink. Clink.

She look over her shoulder for a sign of feedback. A nod.

Clink. Clink clink.

Clink clink.

That was the last of the clip. She stepped back and placed her handgun down, removing her earmuffs and watch Chris do the same.

“How did I go Chris?”

He took a deep breath. “You did good, Moira.” His hand twitched, as if fighting the urge for an invisible cigarette.

“More tips?” She asked, lifting her brows slightly and made her eyes even larger.

“Rhythm.” He said, breathing out before considering. “Get in the zone.”

“Rhythm.” She echoed, trying to make sense of his words. Whenever Chris talked now it was like a puzzle, saying as little as he can get away with.

“Hear each part of the gun. Your heartbeat. The wind. The trail of the bullet in your mind’s eye before you even fired.” Chris said.

She stared at Chris, and it was as if she was with Evgeny again, both their personalities and sorrows melded onto one. The men who had really taught her how to shoot.

A hardened attitude. A bitter life. Slightly hunched shoulders. Steely gaze. Large hands, roughened with wear, but warm at the core. Brown eyes, cold and harsh at the onset, but brimming with sadness and gentleness within. Attitudes and tones masked to kept you at arms’ length, but each word chosen with care.

It takes a certain something to be a strong, veteran marksman. She is starting to spot elements of it now. In Chris, in Evgeny, in Piers. Even Barry at times. They are observers, of themselves, of others, of the world. They know their problems, their vulnerabilities and their brokenness, but chose to bear the broken, hardened shell of indifference for the sake of their goals. One can’t care about everyone and everything. Just one target at a time.

She hasn’t got it yet. She is still too... distracted by everything else. It isn’t a bad thing, but she is not shutting down enough of herself with an iron will where it mattered. That was the point of the exercise. If Chris trained Jill and Claire to be as good as they were, surely he can do the same for her.

Even if she had failed to get Evgeny to come out of his shell, she’s not going to give up on Chris. He and Piers both deserves better.

Clink. Clink. Clink. Clink. Clink.

Words of her mentors played in her head.

_Shoot. No kill, no dinner._

_Aim hard, focus harder._

_No mercy from dead enemy._

_Find your rhythm._

She put the gun down and checked the scores. Four bullseyes out of ten. Evgeny would have been proud.

“Chris, look!” She held up the sheet proudly.

Chris gave an appreciative nod, crossing his thick arms over his chest. A light jerk of the head back to the gun.

Keep going.

She will get him to smile someday. She will. She’d spent practically her whole life dealing with hardened men. They’ll surely come around.

The session finally finished. Moira felt better about herself. It was always helpful training with a pro. She can actually feel tangible improvements when there is authority. Chris had that effect on others.

Even if he stopped firing the shots himself.

He came to the range often, watching Moira work her aim. Claire too, if she has time away from directing TerraSave operations.

He must have spent a lot of time with Piers at the range, watching the marksman polishing his sniping day and night. Since Chris was there, Moira thought she might as well get some real help and get as good as she can be between her own assignments.

But he wouldn’t demonstrate. His hand shook when he held the gun. He would aim at the target, but he can’t make himself fire.

Though she only peeked out of the corner of her eye, Moira understood that fear, the pain in his eyes. She chose not to say anything.

She had gone through it all before.

Unless they’ve gone through it, nobody else can ever really know how traumatic it was to shoot someone dear and personal.

And that’s totally OK. It’s their secret. She knows Chris is proud of her overcoming her fear. She knows he will too. One day. He was always the indestructible big brother.

And yet, after each time the large, warm palm patted her shoulder in encouragement at the end of a session, she would glimpse a small trace of sadness pass over his face, and she knew he was thinking about Piers after practice.

She’ll tear up a little quietly, and know that Chris’ eyes would sparkle a little more than usual, knowing she was only standing in for the one in his heart, but she’ll feign a smile, and he’d look straight ahead. Until the next session.

“I’m hungry, Chris.” She said, dragging Chris to the dining hall with her. He kept forgetting his own mealtimes unless she reminded him.

He’ll give her that slightly defeated look, almost of a parent with a child who’s too smart for their own good. Like the dedicated sniper who always got a little hungry after training.

They usually finished later than most so there would be fewer people to run into. They stood staring at the daily offerings on the menu, and Moira grabbed Chris’ badge and order for them both.

“Chris!”

A familiar voice. Greetings like he hadn’t heard for years. Raccoon City. Arklay Mansion. Philosophy University.

“Rebecca!” Chris turned, and Moira finally saw the corners of his chapped lips curve upwards slightly. She too, smiled in response.

Rebecca approached the pair, her short brown hair in a simple cut, wearing a smart white shirt, a small red bandanna tied around her neck. Tall leather boots over light green pants.

“Professor Chambers.” Moira said, watching Chris squeeze Rebecca in those mighty arms as she tip-toed to give him pecks on the cheek. “I’m Moira Burton.” They exchanged a hug.

“I can see Barry in you,” she said, studying her features with large brown eyes.

“He’d be happy to see you here.” Moira said.

“Yes, Chris, Jill and I, just need Barry for a Raccoon City reunion.” She smiled as Moira collected the food trays and ordered something for Rebecca, seating at a corner of the emptying hall. She stuffed a sandwich in Chris’ hand, and he started eating without paying much attention to himself.

“You finally came. I didn’t even know” He said simply.

“I had to. There must be something I can do.” She said, thanking the staff graciously when her drink and steamed buns arrived.

“Still, hadn’t expected you to come all the way…”

“From Australia? Academics love to travel.” She winked at him. “Whole big wide world out there.”

Chris shook his head with a rare smile. “Some things just never change. For some reason I remember hearing you say that in the S.T.A.R.S. lunchroom with Barry.”

“His response at the time I believe was ‘and you chose Midwest Raccoon-middle-of-bumfuck-nowhere City.”

Even Moira laughed at that one.

Rebecca brushed her hair back. “What I’d give to all go back to the start, and just stay that way with Alpha and Bravo forever.”

Moira saw the smile die out from Chris’ face, followed by the thousand yard stare. “Yeah…”

Rebecca had evidently picked up on the change too. “I’m sorry, Chris.” She placed her palm over his forearm.

Chris simply sighed, taking a large bite out of the sandwich so he didn’t have to talk.

“Liking the food?” Moira asked, for the sake of saying something.

Rebecca took a bite as she sampled the bun. “Looking forward to more, I guess, if we have a chance.”

“It’s incredible. We’ll take you out for a treat these days.”

Chris finished his sandwich, then gave the pair a nod and made his exit.

“Please don’t be mad at him.” Moira said.

“I’m not. I’m a medical professional, even if I haven’t practiced. I know a wounded man when I see one.” She said.

“It was a lot worse. At least he comes out of his room now.”

“Yeah, he’s always been a sensitive soul. Then again, I wasn’t much better, and still, nothing’s changed.”

“We’ll stick at it and get to the end of this.”

“Spoken like true Burton.”

“When you arrived- that was the first smile I saw on Chris since that day. I’m glad you came, Rebecca. He’ll need a lot more happy memories.”

“I’ll do my best.”

* * *

Chris cursed at himself as he retreated to his room. Why did he always have to ruin the moment? Why can’t he just stay happy for a while? He could almost escape for a moment with Rebecca there, but Raccoon City meant revisiting lost friends all over again. He can’t control his sorrow or his emotions. They take him captive as they please. He doesn’t want to fight it. He’s scared to remember, but more scared to forget.

Forest, Joseph, Kenneth. Richard, Enrico. He died in his arms. Kirk Mathison, Dan DeChant, Dave Johnson, Merah, Finn, Andy, Carl, Ben, Keaton, Jeff, Reid, Marco. He watched these capable men and women die. Some of them would have lived if it wasn’t for him.

He sighed. Thumping his fist on the table and stared out the window to the green mountains extending above and below. The birds that are soaring freely in the air wherever the breeze takes them.

_And life goes on, without you._

But I can’t go on. I don’t want to go on without you. Piers.

Is there life after death? Are you in a better place where there is no more suffering?

Are you missing me as much as I am missing you?

Will I ever see you again?

I love you, Piers. Always.

* * *

**End of chapter file unlock- Carla’s biography, part 2**

Carla kept her subservient Ada Wong persona and cooperated with Simmons on the surface while beginning transferring and taking exclusive control of his assets in the Far East under her power. She soon established what is to become known as Neo Umbrella, and even purpose built the Quad Tower complex in the coastal twin city of Tatchi to take advantage of the freedom of operation there, in the center of power that was now the Family’s weakest.

Neo Umbrella’s prime directive was to overthrow global order. From her spy activities on Simmons’ networks, Carla came to understand that a staggering portion of global powers was under the puppet strings of ‘The Family’ which Simmons holds the reigns. It was a shadow global power with influence beyond borders and countries. To Carla, the fastest way of disrupting that control was by bioterrorism and destruction of the global status quo.

She started using the C-virus to convert Simmons’ trained military personnel into indoctrinated Neo Umbrella security agents, loading them onto a submarine and a local aircraft carrier in Chinese waters from assets Simmons transferred to her. As her research became more entrenched in the Far East she established and built the underwater facility for Project D- the creation of an unprecedented bioweapon that could throw the world into chaos overnight. Taking note of the failures of her predecessors, like Wesker, who relied on one creature such as the Tyrant or the Uroborus virus, Carla engineered the Haos creature to become capable of infinite multiplication and regeneration when it had reached full maturity, something that the BSAA cannot simply kill and destroy once and for all.

She intended Neo Umbrella to hold the reins to global order in the wake of global bioterrorist acts, and for that to take place she required staff that will be immune to the C-virus. She established what was to be known as Plan B which will guard her organisation and investments and be exclusive survivors of the global C-virus outbreak.

Around this time Simmons ordered the capture and elimination of Jake Muller, son of Albert Wesker and sent Ada to eliminate him once he was confirmed to have resistance. Ada obeyed the order and captured Muller, but instead of killing him as ordered she harnessed his immunity and antibodies to complete the Plan B vaccine which she distributed to non-combat Neo Umbrella staff.

She realised through experiments that the C-virus can be refined and improved upon using Jake’s blood and set about developing an enhanced version of the C-virus that eliminates the weakness of overheating and limited control and sentience of subdued subjects. She predicted that the enhanced version of the virus can be used to infect subjects who are already immune to the conventional C-virus, including Muller and herself. This would serve multiple purposes. The first was how she can harness the virus for her own benefit- to ensure her own survival and development of superhuman powers in case she was mortally wounded. She coded this as Plan A, a process somewhat similar to project W with the progenitor virus, except there is no risk attached. The second was to provide a means of secondary control and safeguard in case there are traitors within Neo Umbrella, or if the UN managed to develop a vaccine for the C-virus. Finally, she took a leaf out of Simmons’ book and set about creating her ultimate bioweapon which she codenamed Subject C. Subject C is to be a person transfected to become a genetic doppelganger of Jake Muller.

Ada learned of Simmons’ plans to unleash an attack on Tall Oaks, including the action to assassinate President Benford and adjusted accordingly. She wanted Simmons’ moment of triumph to be the harbinger of his downfall.

She sent the Family’s infected aircraft carrier to the Chinese harbour city of Waiyip, infecting and taking over a second Chinese aircraft carrier at the harbour and securing the military port to lock down naval reinforcements. The carrier was then armed with over a dozen warheads containing airborne C-virus for deployment for Plan D. With the distribution of C-virus syringes, she created hordes of armed J’avo and other BOWs and dispersed in critical parts of Waiyip in hiding to slow the progress of any government or BSAA agents for clean-up and containment.

In a somewhat brilliant but questionable move in hindsight, she also contacted Ada Wong three days before the attacks were to be launched to draw her to China and implicate her in the attacks, knowing her capture and blame could deal a further blow to Simmons as well as a live cover or scapegoat for herself while she put plans to motion.

When the Tall Oaks attacks and the death of President Benford reached headline news Carla claimed responsibility for the attacks under Neo Umbrella, a move that stunned Simmons and The Family. She ordered the infected hordes to strike shortly after on the 30th July in Waiyip, causing civilian casualties and the city to be overrun, prompting the deployment of the BSAA, including the newly reinstated Chris Redfield, Piers Nivans and Alpha Team to contain the outbreak. Ground teams escorted civilians to the nearby safe city of Tatchi while Waiyip was quarantined.

She sent Ustanak after Jake and Sherry upon hearing of their escape on the same day from their secret research facility, and paid Chris and Piers a personal visit, for curiosity’s sake, shooting Bravo team leader Marco Rose with her C-virus dart.

She fled in time to the Vinci Medical Centre to collect the 3 samples of newly completed enhanced C-virus. She dispatched one of the injectors immediately for Simmons’ position at Koocheng. Soon after she encountered Redfield, Nivans, as well as DSO agents Leon Kennedy and Helena Harper within the medical facility. Though she pitted them against each other initially, she was soon corned by Redfield and Nivans. Thinking Carla was Ada, Leon intervened and allowed Carla to escape, heading on her Porsche to the military port with the BSAA agents in pursuit. Both parties made it to the Neo Umbrella carrier just as it undocked.

At this time it was confirmed that Simmons was shot and infected with the enhanced C-virus. Goading her archrival in his suffering, Carla set out to arm and ready C-virus laden missiles on the second carrier for the launch of Plan D, programming a failsafe specifically for the Tatchi missile due to the presence of the BSAA agents. When Plan D activates, population centres around the Asia-Pacific would turn to new ground zero outbreaks, redirection any UN or military forces encroaching into China to the new outbreak sites. By ensuring Tatchi’s infection, it would become effectively a quarantined ghost town, allowing her a safe haven of operations from the Quad Tower Headquarters where she will complete Subject C’s transformation as well as her own. By the time both were ready, Haos would have finished its metamorphosis to 100% to spread the virus globally via the oceans in a matter of days, ensuring the collapse of global order.

As it turned out, Carla’s broadcast to Simmons was traced by The Family who narrowed down her position on the carrier. She was assassinated by a sniper during a confrontation with the BSAA agents before she could escape to Tatchi, where she would have been immune to the effects and aftermath of the C-virus. In desperation, Carla used the enhanced C-virus on herself to transform before she was ready, and the last enhanced C-virus sample intended for subject C was left on the aircraft carrier, taken possession by Piers Nivans.

The virus laden missiles on the second carrier readied for launch, but Redfield and Nivans were able to respond in time to shoot down intersecting aircraft and disable all the missiles via a VTOL jet, with the exception of the one aimed for Tatchi which had a built in failsafe and reactivated. The missile launched and detonated above Tatchi, infecting the city instantly including evacuated civilians and BSAA ground team Echo. Survivors, including Kennedy and Harper were rushed to the Quad Tower site which was deemed to be a safe location, but the BSAA did not know it was safe because it was the site of Neo Umbrella’s headquarters. By this time, the infected Simmons was freed from Carla’s mind control, making his way to Quad Tower to end Neo Umbrella and ‘Ada Wong’ once and for all.

Carla, having been revived and mutated by the enhanced C-virus became mentally and physically unstable when she encountered the real Ada Wong. For the first time both Carla and Ada’s personas became preserved with the C-virus and battled for control among herself. This enabled the real Ada Wong to break out of Carla’s control even as she manifested and merged herself with the entire carrier, using liquid nitrogen to fracture a large part of her being and shattering it. The aircraft carrier exploded and sunk, and to the agents the Ada Wong doppelganger was dead.

The last ditch effort of causing global infection activated at Carla’s death. The second half of Plan D was a last ditch resort if Carla was ever to fall, causing Haos to hatch prematurely so it could spread the C-virus through the ocean. Haos was defeated twice by Redfield and Nivans at the underwater facility, but it regenerated, severely injuring Nivans in the process. Piers at this point used the final sample of the enhanced C-virus on himself, regenerating his arm and gaining bioelectric power with which he was finally able to disrupt Haos’ liquid armour and defeat Haos for good. Nivans chose to remain in the disintegrating facility in an act of self-sacrifice while enabling Redfield’s rescued via the escape pods, putting an end to Plan D for good.

Ada, Kennedy and Harper confronted and eventually defeated the mutated Simmons at Quad Tower despite his seemingly infinite mutations. Ada eventually stumbled onto one of Carla’s labs documenting her plans of Subject C with a chrysalid which was ready to hatch. Although Ada successfully destroyed the chrysalid and burned the lab down, the chrysalid was a decoy, and Subject C was already being trained in a safe room elsewhere in Tatchi, who subsequently escaped in the chaos of the city’s infection.

With Simmons dead, Tatchi was quarantined and the BSAA continued to eradicate the remaining pockets of resistance at Waiyip.

Deep beneath the military port, the snap frozen, preserved cells of Carla Radames slowly began to regenerate and coalesce once more beneath Chinese waters.

 


	35. This War Isn't Over

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bioterrorism has claimed many good men and women the day viral research began, but after fifteen years, they haven’t won, and we haven’t lost. This war isn't over.  
> Meanwhile, Leon and Ada investigates the final bastion of Neo Umbrella, unprepared for the surprises within.

Will I ever see you again?

Piers. He has meant too much to him even in the brief time they had confessed their feelings to each other. For the first time, Chris was able to think beyond the loss and the emptiness. Piers who puts duty first. Piers who was always challenging him to the extra mile. 

He doesn’t recall who said it, but yes, one day it’s the teacher who ends up learning from and being shaped by their pupils.

“Chris.” His thoughts were interrupted by Rebecca at his door. “Can I come in?”

“Hey Rebecca.” He gestured for her to sit.

“Things will get better.” She said, in her usual, determined voice.

“I know.” He nodded along, out of habit.

“But you stopped believing.”

He took his time before meeting her steady gaze. “I… I wanted to believe… but it’s too late…”

“Chris. I know you are still there. The man who rescued me in the mansion. The one who stood up to the betrayal of his Captain, to the first Tyrant class weapon. Jill, Barry and I played our part, but you were the one who never gave up in the face of terror.

“Then it was the fight from facing monsters of men to monsters of corporations. When our reports to the RPD got ignored, you were the one who pushed the issue behind the scenes and brought the FBI in. You uncovered Umbrella when nobody paid attention and clamped the whole thing down.

“You fought the monsters of apathy. When the BSAA declared Jill and Wesker dead, you hung on and brought her back after we all gave up. You believed.”

“We were young and fearless. We all were. We had nothing to lose. We thought we could handle everything.” He exhaled slowly, feeling the years rush by. How long has it been already?

“But you went on to found the BSAA. All those missions. Even when we teamed up a few years ago, you were sharp as ever.”

“As were you. You’re quite the fearless agent since the days of being Bravo Team’s rookie.” He gazed into Rebecca’s eyes, and although she has matured, he still saw the timid but determined spirit that shone brighter and brighter the deeper adversity she found herself in. She, too, had an unquenchable spirit.

“Thanks. Still this isn’t a competition. Chris, we all need you to put up the good fight.” She held Chris’ hand in her own. It was large, powerful from veterancy, but cold and roughened from combat.

“No rest for the wicked, right?” He squeezed back, feeling the warmth slowly trickling back to his heart.

“You’ve done a lot of good for the world. Don’t put yourself down like that.”

“I know. I won’t forget my duty. I can’t forget about what I have yet to do. I… I owe him for that. But damnit, I just can’t hold it together without him. You were a medic, doctor, professor, even. You know it’s not as simple of just snapping out of it. Years of buckling under pressure took its toll.”

“It’s our humanity.” She said, staring out the window.

“Hmm?”

“It’s human to try, and fail, and dust ourselves off and do it all over again. Chris, it’s OK to be weak. It’s ok to be hurt and suffering. I’m not asking you to snap out of it. I’m asking you to give in to it. It’s all part of who you are. The fact that your heart remains tender is why there is no one like you.”

“Hmph.” He too joined her gaze outdoors.

“Piers may have been battered, his body may have been wounded, but his mind, his determination has always been exemplary. Sharp, compassionate, strong. He never gives up Chris. On you, on himself, on anybody. He reminds me a lot of the younger you.”

“Never gives up on you, himself, anybody...” He repeated softly. “You’re not the first to say that.” He said, rubbing his thumb proudly over Piers’ BSAA badge.

“Even as I made my way over here, in the wake of our terrible losses, I can see the BSAA is still full of men and women who will never give up, even if they pay the ultimate price. We have all signed up for this. Loss is something that touches us. Loss is something that changes us, but it gives us power, because this war isn’t fought with viruses and bullets. It’s fought with hope, honour and the memories of our comrades. We have nothing to fear when our friends are waiting on the other side.”

Chris took a deep breath but kept quiet, losing himself in the spark of determination in Rebecca’s eyes.

“They put their lives on the line today and tomorrow not just for their CO, not for their friends and family, but for the sake of the greater good. We have farewelled many good men and women the day viral research began, but after fifteen years, they haven’t won, and we haven’t lost. It’s going to be OK, Chris.”

“… they haven’t won, and we haven’t lost… they haven’t won, and we haven’t lost.” Chris slowly clenched his fists, hearing Piers’ voice echo what Rebecca said.

_What happened to the legendary Chris Redfield huh? What happened to you?_

“Chris. Please fight on. I know you will too. I trust you. Only you can help yourself.” She gave a firm squeeze on his shoulder, and Chris was back on his own.

Seeing Rebecca always brings him back to the past. When it all began. When the balance of events depended upon his competence and decision. Throughout the years he felt his efforts have become more and more insignificant as the schemes and pervasiveness of the terrorists grew broader and wilder. Still, Rebecca was right.

They haven’t won, and we haven’t lost.

He put his gear on and headed back to the target range with his 909.

This war isn’t over.

* * *

 

Piers came to in the same small clinic with a spitting headache, drifting in consciousness between the real world and the virus network. A rather unsettling and unpleasant feeling tugged at his senses. His mind was foggy, as if he was shackled mentally, even if he was physically unrestrained.

He sat up with some effort, clutching his head as he felt a deep pain inside, cutting into his thoughts and his mind with the sharpness of a razor.

I’ve got to get out of here!

That thought triggered a wave of pain- like a migraine with a monomolecular edge. It came from within. Somewhere in his mind Ada must have planted memory shackles. He panted, head down, clutched between both arms waiting for the nausea to pass. Soon he recognised if he didn’t think about escaping he was fine. As soon as he tried to analyse ways of getting out the mental pain would grow so severe he can only sit and think of his breathing until it passes.

God damn it.

He wasn’t doing well at all. His throat burned with dryness, his heart pounded almost irregularly in his chest, and he knew he was severely dehydrated from the loss of blood, not to mention the antibodies his body had been making to counter the Illuzjia’s toxins.

Alright. Not trying to get out. Just scout. Survive. One step at a time.

He looked around the room for anything he could use, but it was cold and sterile. There were scalpel blades, a small weapon, not that something like that would be much good against the J’avo. He hung onto it anyway and checked the door. It was locked, but with some effort, he forced open the bolt and wandered out to the hallway.

The facility was sterile and uninteresting. Bare concrete walls coated with white paint. Small laboratory setups. With the aid of his senses in the C-virus network he avoided the patrols and broke in a lab. Panting, he checked the tap, letting it run before drinking up to parch his thirst. Some fiddling about in the next room got him to a gear locker where he finally found some laundered scrubs. The pants were short, and the footwear was running small on his feet, but it was better than nothing, and at least the pockets came handy.

He silently explored the laboratories, and after some time came across injectors of significance. It must be the new batch of Enhanced C-virus Carla was working on. He pocketed a few. They never did manage to get that sample back to HQ for study.

Suddenly, an alarm was triggered in the facility. A pair of indoctrinated agents headed towards the lab. Piers quickly hid himself behind the shelves. As one passed he snuck out and attacked from behind, clamping a hand over his mouth and snapping the neck under his arm, then throwing the bladed scalpel into the windpipe of the other as he turned, before also snapping his neck.

With bated breath, he searched the bodies to retrieve a handgun and ammo, along with proximity pass keycards that must have matched the readers on the door. He soon realised the commotion wasn’t directed at him, and the guards were rushing down to the basement level. Maybe he has a chance.

He ran room after room, trying to get closer. The enemy’s enemies are my allies. He’ll give them a hand from within.

* * *

 

It was late morning. A pair of armoured ATVs bounced their way quickly and quietly through the edges of the swamp towards a hidden compound.

“Leon, you ready for this?” Ada’s voice clicked through his radio.

“Are you sure this is the right place, Ada?” He turned, searching the face of his partner behind his fringe as they bounced along. It was nice, to be remembered and called upon when she needed it. He’d consider that a landmark development, even.

“I have been tracking Wesker’s movements since your tips, and I cross referenced The Family’s old installations with Neo Umbrella files to narrow down the possible locations. Carla would have had no time or resources to build a new facility, so it would have to be an existing one. You said Wesker wasn’t headed for the border, so I figured there must have been still more uncompromised hideouts.”

“But building it here right next to a swamp?”

“It’s for protection- the marsh gases in spring and summer prevent curious locals straying near the facility.”

“The news isn’t good though, Jill said they lost Piers…”

“They WHAT?” It was the only time Leon saw Ada seeming surprised and unprepared.

“Claire contacted me after they brought Moira back. The BSAA facility in Sichuan where Piers, Jill and Chris were based at was attacked by Carla herself along with a platoon of infected. She had almost managed to kill Jill, but Chris and Moira managed to save her, and in turn Jill destroyed Carla. In the distraction Piers was captured by a BOW and was transported away from the facility. Piers eventually killed it, and Chris brought him back, but later that day… Piers started to transform fully to a BOW. Chris had to shoot him with his own gun. The bioscanner from the BSAA research department confirmed it was from one with the enhanced C-virus biosignature. I think… I think Piers is gone for good.”

Ada was quiet for a long moment. She was evidently not prepared for the news. “He didn’t deserve that… the BSAA didn’t deserve that… nobody expected Carla to attack so soon.”

“I know Ada. Claire said Chris is a total wreck now, in shock, in denial. We’re not down one man, but two…”

Ada grimaced but throttled her ATV. “We will have to bring down Neo Umbrella as fast as we can. I doubt that Carla is truly gone. If she is dead, great. If not we shall find out. Either way, we need to take out her right hand man and the rest of Neo Umbrella.”

“Ada, it’s too dangerous for you to operate back in China…”

“I know, but I would only do this if it was worth the risk.”

Leon studied Ada as she zoomed before him, her blue flowing dress and red scarf fluttering from the headwinds. Honestly, he couldn’t tell her from Carla. “I don’t doubt your disguise game, but How did you get through with the security alert? This is the heaviest state of surveillance and alert we’ve seen.”

“My organisation brokered a deal with The Family. They in turn negotiated with Chinese authorities. On top of that, how did you think Carla got through when she has _my_ fingerprints and DNA? I used her connections. Two can play this game.”

“Are we even prepared for Carla herself?’ He asked her.

“Have we ever been prepared for what we’ve been thrown into? She retorted.

“You’ve got a point. Guess I’m not used to working without an extra pair of eyes out there watching my back.” He said with a slight smile.

“We’re not all in. Sherry and Jake will get our backs if we need.”

“Lets’ hope we don’t need to get them in danger anyhow.” Leon said, giving his gear a last once over as they hid the vehicles under the shade of a large tree close to the compound.

“The kid will have to learn to stand up to his doppelganger one day.” Ada said.

“Let’s hope he has a good role model.” Leon nodded at her.

“I believe your friend Chris was filling in that role quite well himself.” She said with an elusive smile. “One more thing, Leon.”

“I’m listening.”

“I’m no longer Ada Wong. After this mission, call me Yue, or Luna, if that suits you better. I would have ditched this appearance, but I figured it may be handy staying as Ada to infiltrate the facility.”

Leon paused, trying to work out what Ada was getting at. “That’s… still not your real name, is it?”

“Everything is an alias until proven otherwise. And then some,” She brushed her hair back behind her ear, and Leon mirrored her gesture. “It’s for protection. You know that. Mine, and Yours. I was supposed to let go of this identity right after Raccoon City. It… should have been buried with John. He deserved that. Ada… deserved that.” She sighed, staring into the distance.

“It’s not easy not being...  _attached_ , is it.” Leon said.

Ada glanced across at Leon at the word, and shook her head slowly. “It was just a name. Yet it became more than a name. The friends and enemies I met as Ada… they’ll stay with me always.”

Leon felt the urge to comfort her, but restrained himself. “Seems I’ll never get to understand you, Luna.”

“It hasn’t stopped you all these years, has it?” She gave a slight smile.

Leon took a deep breath. “You’ll always be Ada Wong to me.”

* * *

 

The pair approached on foot, making their way stealthily and bypassed the rings of infected sentries and guards around the perimeter of the facility. What they couldn’t avoid was taken care of by a few silent crossbow bolts and quiet assassinations.

“Where is Wesker going to be?” Leon asked as they made it into the compound.

“We’ll check the offices first. At least we’ll get data and intel if nothing else.”

It did not seem to be a heavily fortified facility, at least from the outside. It couldn’t have for it to have stayed under the radar for so long. The doors were fitted with electronic locks, but it was more to keep outsiders out. Every guard’s keypass opened doors without an issue. With luck, they made it to a terminal, and Ada hastily hacked into the database searching for clues and worked her way into the new Neo Umbrella archives.

“Juicy.” She said, as she swooped the archives and protocols.

“Too juicy, perhaps.” Leon readied his gun as guards silently approached their location.

He covered Ada as she got what she needed, silently disarming and slaying the guards, but this only bought another minute or so before full blown gunfire rocked the facility.

“Gotta go, no time to waste.” He barked at her.

“Hey, maybe eventually Wesker will show up himself if we wait here.” She said.

“And then what, you know we’re no match for him in physical combat!” Leon said.

“Point taken, but we can improvise.” She disarmed the secondary barred door and disengaged from the terminal. “Let’s go.”

“Ada!” Leon shouted as the door suddenly spun and did a 180, and the pair were separated.

“Ada!” He pounded on the wall, trying to trigger the mechanism again but to no avail. He called out, hearing a muffled response from the other side.

“Well this is just great.” He said, dropping another J’avo with an elbow.

“Stay cool. We’ll be fine.” His radio clicked.

He fought his way out of the facility, trying to reach the adjacent room to reunite with his partner. He wasn’t particularly worried though; Ada was more than capable of handling anything coming her way.

The corridor filled with J’avo and BOWs quickly, and he felt the familiar adrenaline rush within. Before his mind had even figured out what he was doing his body already prepared himself for battle, and he took to being up close and personal with the BOW party. It was a good warmup for a frontline agent now used to fighting against entire populations of infected. As thrilling as it was to put them down, he chose to evade as many as he could, letting them obstruct and get into each other’s way instead.

He retreated into the nearest room and barred the door, taking a moment to scan his surrounds.

Bottles, supplies, file cabinets. Looks like another makeshift laboratory and storage area.

He checked his clip and reloaded, rummaging through the labs until his eyes caught more injectors.

“Progenitor virus?” He studied the vials, stashed them into his gear and entered the next room.

The lights fizzled out, and the facility was now only lit by dimmed emergency lighting.

“Leon.” The familiar voice echoed within.

“There you are.” He nodded. “Let’s get outta here.”

“This way.” She said, leading him away and up a flight of stairs.

She used a keypass to open the next door, but both were blinded with a white flash of light. He heard a scream, and through the spots in his vision he could see Ada was caught in an electrified cage. There was a grunt of exertion too from a man at the other side of the room. The room flashed with lightning again.

He raised his gun in reflex, unloading a clip to the silhouette behind the blinding light as Ada cursed and spasmed.

It all happened so fast.

He heard a vaguely familiar cry of pain as his target took the bullets, falling back behind a lab bench. The lightning fizzled out, and he could hear heavy panting.

“Ada!” He pulled Ada into cover, hoping to have a way to patch her up. “Ada. You alright?” He held her upper body in his, raising a hand to pat her cheeks.

“Ugh. Get away from her, Leon!” The voice grunted in pain, and a bolt discharged towards Ada, arcing behind cover.

“Leon… help!” She moaned weakly as lightning enveloped her body.

“Ada, I’ve got you!” Leon shielded her from the bolt, taking a hit as they both convulsed from the shock. The bolt stopped at once.

“L..eon. Get away from her. That’s Carla...” The voice called weakly from the other end of the room.

“Yue?” He called hesitantly. He just noticed “Ada” was not wearing a radio.

It was almost too late. In the moment of indecision Ada plunged her mutated arm, sharp as a blade towards Leon, but the stranger's warning had brought him the moment he needed, barely managing to deflect the blade with his gun, the tip of the edge slashing through his combat vest.

“Damn you!” Carla cursed as another arc paralysed her again. Leon raised his gun, aiming this time without hesitation.

“This isn’t over! I am the only… Ada… Wong.” She sneered, firing her hookshot to the doorway and escaping from sight again.

Thud. He heard another body and the sound of a gun hit the floor.

Turning on his personal light with the wing shooter in hand, Leon rushed over to see the BSAA operative, Piers Nivans lying face down in a pool of his own blood. He was clutching a palm over his chest, and slightly convulsing from his injuries, trying not to grunt in pain, although Leon could tell from his expression it was almost too much to bear.

“Piers!” He pulled Piers up, looking at the bullet marks across his body. There were at least four shots. Two of which should have been lethal. Shots which he fired. So Piers wasn’t dead as the reports suggested. But he might have just killed him himself.

“Shit.” He muttered under his breath, feeling a growing remorse at his own actions. This was the second time he defended the wrong Ada and let the real one get away. If only he checked before firing in a panic!

“Piers!”

Feeling Piers shivering, he reached for the can of first aid spray, feeling relieved that he actually brought it along and sprayed it liberally over his wounds, hoping it was enough to bring him back from the brink of death.

“Come on. Come on! Piers! Stay with me!” He jumped back as Piers hyperventilated and for a moment convulsed in sparks. Trembling, he pushed himself onto his elbows, and with great effort, bullets shell casings were slowly pushed out from his wounds and fell onto the ground with a clatter. He collapsed again on the floor when the last casing was ejected, his torso a mess of blood and viscous fluids which started seeping from the wounds.

“Piers!” Seeing there was hope, Leon held Piers up, cradled his jaw and tossed a bunch of herbs pills into his mouth, passing him his water flask. The wounded soldier drank desperately and emptied the flask, gasping and leaning back on Leon on the floor.

“Christ. The BSAA thought you were dead. I’ve got to get you out of here!” Leon said, wrapping his vest around Piers and his arm across his shoulders.

Piers didn’t respond. He was still breathing, but unevenly, and he looked pale as a zombie.

“Piers!” He shook him.

“I can’t get out of here… she poisoned my mind…”

“What’s wrong?”

“Some sort of mind shackle. Even the thought of escaping puts me under great pain…”

Leon scrunched his brows, but then he relaxed. “Piers, listen to me. Ada’s greatest strength, but also her fatal flaw is her independence. She was wrong to assume you were like her. You don’t have to do this alone. If you can’t leave of your will, then I’ll bring you out. Chris needs you. You just hang on and stay alive for me.”

He dragged Piers to his feet, arm across his own shoulder as he found a way out, Piers whispering warnings when guards drew near and he eventually stumbled back to daylight, seating Piers in the ATV behind himself.

“Luna, I have Piers Nivans. Do you copy?” He called into his earpiece, but there was radio silence.

“I need backup, Jake, Sherry?” He called.

“Sherry here. Jake and I are making our way to the compound on your route, over.”

“Go look for Ada and back her up. I’ve located Piers but I need to get him back to the BSAA ASAP. His condition isn’t looking good.”

“We copy. We’ll back Ada up.” Jake said.

“Carla is still in there, and she can fake herself as Ada. Be careful.” He whispered.

“Got it. Sherry out.”

Leon tried to secure Piers to himself as best he can, trusting that Ada would be able to handle herself. She always worked better alone anyhow, and Jake and Sherry should be able to support her if needed. With Carla’s disappearance, the J’avo seemed to have lost interest in pursuing them and he made it out without too much trouble.

He tapped his radio again. “Hannigan- are you there? This is Leon Kennedy. Can you get me in touch with the BSAA, and find me the quickest way back to their base?

“Leon! You sound so out of breath! You’re lucky I never take a break even if you tell me things are under control. Give me a moment while I read your location.”

“Hannigan, I have Piers. He’s lost a lot of blood and barely conscious. He needs urgent medical treatment.”

“Leon. Take your transport through onto route forty five. I’ll try to get through to the BSAA in the meantime.”

Leon floored the pedal as far as he dared, trying to avoid the major bumps for a smoother ride. Thankfully the ATV had great suspension. Still, he hoped his usual traffic calamities might take a vacation for Piers’ sake.

His earpiece buzzed as he gained distance. “Leon, I’m patching you to Jill from the BSAA.”

“I copy, patch her through.”

“Leon. Jill Valentine from the BSAA. I hear you have located Lt. Nivans?” Jill’s voice was calm and calculated, but Leon could tell there was relief and a warm confidence in her tone.

“I confirm, Piers is alive. Ada and I were pursuing of Subject C to a base in Luosheng province. It seems the real Carla Radames and Piers Nivans happened to both be located there. I have Piers with me on the way back. He’s not doing so well. Get your medical team on standby. He needs medical evac, trauma team, blood transfusions, whatever. Hannigan is tracking my coordinates, and I’ll need to get back to Ada after this.”

“I hear you, we’ll get you up as soon as we can. Keep us in touch.”

“And ask Chris to forgive me when he sees him.”

“If you’ve seen Chris he’ll be anything but grateful. The BSAA will meet you at the approaching checkpoint. They will have a team for Piers’ evac, security code Eagle six Foxtrot India four Lima. The second security code will be forwarded to your PDA for phase two authentication.”

“I’m flooring it. Probably be there in 15 mikes. Hope the roads are clear.”

He heard a groan and he saw Piers twitch and hung on tighter. More of the viscous fluid was now coating his body and threatening to encase him. He has no idea what it means, but he needs help fast.

“Piers! This isn’t over, you hear me? Stay with me!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! It’s been a while since I updated TUW. I want to say firstly thanks for the continued support and interest! I definitely haven’t forgotten the story, in fact it’s been in my mind everyday. I’ve been delaying it partly because I wasn't happy with what I wrote in this chapter for a while and shuffled things around. I've also been busy with thesis as deadline approaches. It’s exhausting to write academically- way more so than creatively since I can’t just make things up. Once that clears up I can return to a more productive creative schedule. This will get finished once I submit the thesis. Promise.
> 
> Also my heart goes out to those affected by the acts of terrorism in Paris. What Rebecca says still holds true. People fight on, not for country, family, religion, but for all of humanity, for the greater good.


	36. Testing Times

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Left on her own, Ada looks for a way to escape from the Neo Umbrella facility with the help of Jake and Sherry. Carla’s pursuit ends in surprising disastrous consequences. Back on base, Chris checks out Quint’s newest prototype weapon until they are interrupted with the arrival of a MEDEVAC helicopter.

**Previously, on The Ultimate Weapon:**

After weeks of playing hide and seek, Carla Radames and Neo Umbrella launched an attack on the BSAA facility in Sichuan, distracting Jill and Chris with a clone of herself while capturing Piers with a second Illuzjia. Left on his own, Piers managed to overcome and kill the BOW using his bioelectric powers in new ways. Despite his best efforts, he suffers a bite from the BOW and is paralysed by its venom. A Carla clone kidnapped Piers to a facility in China, while another clone was left behind assuming Piers’ form to be ‘rescued’ by Chris. In a ploy to break Chris mentally as well as fake Piers’ death, “Piers” eventually pretended to have succumbed to the effects of the C-virus, forcing Chris to terminate him at gunpoint. Disheartened by his choices in letting Piers down, and thinking he had killed off Piers for real, Chris became disillusioned and depressed and lost interest and capability to participate in further BSAA operations. Jill, Claire, Moira and Rebecca all tried to support and encourage him, with varying levels of success, but they all understood ultimately it was down to Chris himself to move forward from his deeply seated trauma.

In a facility in Southern China, Piers awoke to Ada Wong’s doppelganger claiming she had extracted the enhanced C-virus from his blood. She injected this virus into Subject C, initiating the last stage of his transformation towards becoming her ultimate weapon. Spurred by her success, Carla sought to indoctrinate and dominate Piers through mind control, but found that his will could not be tamed and was more than a match for her own. In fact, it appeared that Piers’ efforts had reawakened the Carla Radames persona within the doppelganger’s conscience, and the two personalities wrestled for control.

Unbeknown to the BSAA, Leon and Ada had infiltrated Carla’s last bastion in China based on the trail left by Subject C, with Jake and Sherry following as their backup. Their distraction allowed a recovering but suffering Piers to break free. In the process of fighting J’avo agents, Leon and Ada became separated. After further scuffles Leon reunited with Carla, not knowing she was masquerading as Ada. They encountered an entity along the way who attacked ‘Ada’ without mercy. Leon retaliated to Ada’s defence, shooting the attacker with his wingshooters. The attacker was wounded, but was able to finally convinced Leon that ‘Ada’ was a fake before paralysing Carla with bioelectricity and collapsing. Leon came to his aid to find he was none other than Piers Nivans. Despite protection from his bioorganic armour, Piers took four shots to his vitals and his condition worsened quickly. Faced with a difficult choice between aiding Ada or extracting Piers, Leon realised the foolishness of his actions and vowed to bring Piers back to the BSAA as they escaped from the facility, trusting Ada to be able to find her way out as she always had.

The plot continues as Ada plans her escape…

* * *

 

“Ada, Sherry and I are almost at the compound, we’re backing you up for your extraction.” Jake’s voice echoed in her earpiece.

“I’m heading right out as we speak. Keep the entrance clear and keep your engines hot.” She tucked the valuable data she acquired safely away. Leon had made it out with Piers. It’s just her now. She couldn’t risk fighting Carla or Subject C like this.

She opened the door and headed out the room, almost jumping from fright when she found herself standing face to face with her doppelganger.

“You!” Carla’s face contorted in hatred as she pointed her finger. “You ought to be dead!”

“That’s my line, and you know it.” Ada replied, keeping her emotions in check as she scanned her surrounds for openings. Direct combat was futile at this point without a clear way to eliminate her for good. She wasn’t even sure if even an RPG in her face would do lasting damage.

“No matter. You’re not leaving this room alive.” Carla said, and the room suddenly filled with smoke.

It was bad news as soon as she saw the smirk on Carla’s face. Without even a moment’s hesitation, one, two, three needle darts whistled through the air. Four, five, all six soon followed. She kept moving, making use of the hookshot as best as she could to alter her momentum, jerking sharply using all three dimensions, along with a heavy helping of luck to be anything but a predictable target.

This was going to be one hell of a headache.

She could just about make out the door at the end of the corridor, quickly calculating her chances of making it there.

“There can only be one Ada Wong.” Carla hissed through the smoke.

“Yet you can’t stop pretending to be an imposter or a pest.”

She made out faint clinks as the missed needles fell to the ground, bounding forward grappling from beam to beam on the ceiling. She hooked onto the final beam, tucking herself up and away as she detonated the remote bomb at her initial location.

Boom!

The room filled with curses and smoke again. She dropped to the ground and ran towards the door. She was just was meters away now. Five. Four.

It was as if Carla had materialised right in front of her, and she took a step back.

“So predictable.” She spat. “You almost embarrass me.” She raised her arm, the hand mutated to a blade and stabbed at Ada.

With a slight toss of her hair, Ada fired her readied crossbow with an explosive arrow. Who’s blocking who now?

The arrow struck, pushing Carla backwards, and Ada braced herself as it blew up in the tight enclosure. She pushed past the fallen clone and through the door.

With her feet now finding gravel, she called on her radio.

“I’m being pursued. Be ready for engagement.”

“Get her!”

Her own footsteps were drowned out as clones of Carla began to materialise and chase after her, spilling out from the facility.

“What kind of sick joke is this!” Jake cursed, trying to distinguish the real Ada from the pursuing clones, firing rounds to the most obvious ones to lessen the pressure.

“Just run!” Ada said, dropping grenades and firing explosive arrows over her shoulder as she made her escape.

Sherry sniped the closest threats closing on Jake and Ada, buying them time to get to the vehicle.

Jake jumped in and took the wheel, barely getting away from the horde of pursuing Carlas. There were at least five or six, and he was sure there would be more appearing any minute.

Ada closed in, but two of the clones paused, aiming their dart guns at Jake as he concentrated on reversing the vehicle, backing it roughly towards Ada.

“Jake!” Sherry caught the glint of the needles, and in the absence of other alternatives, leaned across Jake and caught the darts on her back.

“Ugh!” She grimaced as the darts made contact, and felt the immediate warmth as they delivered their viral payload.

“Sherry!” Jake yelled as he felt Sherry lean across on him. “Sherry! You OK?”

Ada leaped onto the vehicle and Jake accelerated at once. One of the pursuers had latched onto the vehicle, but was yanked off her feet before she managed to stay on.

“Sherry!” Jake’s voice was becoming hoarse. Sherry hadn’t said anything yet.

“I’m OK.” Sherry gasped, and grunted as Ada helped pull the darts out of her back.

“This is C-virus.” Ada said, eyeing Sherry with concern.

“I’m… I’m OK. I’m immune, remember? I already play host to a viral agent. Simmons had tried enough of these on me.” She settled back in her seat as she recovered from the ordeal.

Jake sighed in relief. “So am I, right?”

“Not if it’s the enhanced version.” Ada squinted, firing enough to keep the pursuers from getting too close and patted the chip in her PDA. “Those were custom made to bypass your resistance.”

“I’m real glad you’re telling me now!” Jake ducked in his seat, suddenly aware of every bit of the shrapnel and projectiles hurled their way.

“Just drive!” Sherry said, trying to fend the shards off with her stun rod.

“You are not getting away!” The horde of clones screamed in unison.

“Shit!” A Lepotitsa jumped out of the marshlands, releasing blue clouds of smoke on the roads.

“Hold on!!” Jake smashed the gas to the floor, running part of the creature over as Ada and Sherry held their breath. Jake immediately lowered the windows once they were in the clear to air things out.

“Count to ten and breathe.” He barked.

Sherry held on until she thought she would burst, and finally took a breath. The open area had lessened the lethality of the Lepotitsa at least, but she could see how hiding them and blending their secretions with in the marsh gases would have made for effective barriers.

“Jake!” She shot him a look of concern.

“I’m immune, remember!” He said, putting the handling to the limit across the windy track.

“Not to those.” Ada said, looking up as the roar of a pursuing helicopter thundered above.

“Not this again! I thought we’re done with the goddamn sky birds in Edonia!” Jake cursed, screeching as he swerved to avoid the trail of machine gun bullets.

“This is Sherry, requesting for immediate backup and evac. We have air and ground hostiles.” Sherry shouted into the radio.

“Hello?” There was no answer or acknowledgement for her call.

“Any great ideas Ada?” Jake said, now trekking off track through the bushlands for cover as the helicopter closed in and began spitting bullets.

Ada was silent, instead she took Sherry’s rifle, aimed after a long pause and fired at the chopper. One shot penetrated the glass, and the second took out the pilot. The chopper pulled up slightly, then into a spin, crashing into the ground below to the trio’s relief.

“There’s three more coming!” Sherry said. Suddenly her radio cackled to life.

“Sherry. Leon here, we have just secured clearance from Chinese authorities to operate. I’m on the way towards the facility with the BSAA. Stay safe guys.”

“Leon in the air again? Maybe I should really start getting worried.” Ada said.

Sure enough, the roar of the BSAA air squadron filled the air as they engaged the rogue choppers, while a group broke off and proceeded to bomb the Neo Umbrella facility.

“Another one bites the dust.” Ada gazed at the smoke rising from the distance, handing the rifle back to Sherry.

Jake slowed the vehicle to a stop as the helicopter with Leon hovered above.

“And thus concludes my final mission as Ada Wong. It’s been fun, ladies and gentlemen.”

“Wait, where are you going?” Jake yelled as she jumped onto Leon’s chopper.

“The real hunt for Carla begins now.” She exchanged a glance with Leon, who gave an assuring nod. “Hook me up to the speakers.”

* * *

 

The many clones of Carla watched the compound going up in smoke. That was one of their few shelters left.

“Ada Wong. I will get you back for this!” She screamed.

The speakers from one of the helicopters crackled for a moment, then blared with Ada’s ever cool and snarky banter. “All this time you wanted so hard to be me, Ada Wong. To you, she is everything. To me, she is but a pseudonym, a fragment of my past I can throw away when I wanted. Chase me all you want. Try to live in my past all you want. Pluck the flower in the mirror; catch the moon in the pond. I hereby damn you to a life of shadows and whispers. Ada Wong.”

Ada. Ada. Ada…

The name echoed in her head.

“I am Ada Wong.”

The clones looked at each other in confusion.

“No. I’m Ada Wong.”

Carla tried to gather her clones back again. Most of them resorbed to her consciousness.

Some did not.

She broke out in a cold sweat. She was losing control over her identity once more.

She had tried so hard to eliminate Ada, and now she had almost done it. The imposter had stood down. Victory was theirs. By now, there should only be one, herself.

Instead, there were three who hadn’t returned. At least.

They were armed with their own agendas. Their own might. Their own powers. Powers that should have been hers alone.

She never foresaw that. Absorbing the power of thousands of infected was meant to be the way she would grow in power. She never doubted her ability to stay in control.

Carla. Ada. Carla. Ada.

_“Give it up, Carla!”_ Piers’ voice somehow echoed in her mind.

_“You owe it to yourself to remember!”_

She sank against the trunk of a tree, watching the BSAA fleet turn her compound to dust and rubble.

Leon had retrieved Piers.

Ada had got away.

Her last creation… up in smoke.

Who is she? Really?

“Subject C. Get out of there now. I need you.”

There was no response.

Damn this to hell. Where was he?

* * *

 

Chris stared intently at his gun with equal parts fondness and distaste. On the one hand, it is his trusted sidearm, getting him out of many a tight spot. On the other, he had been forced to use it on Piers to grant him his final wish.

He had aimed and held out his gun many times toward the target in perfect stance, conditioned from years of training and muscle memory. He just couldn’t quite shake seeing Piers’ face or his final words when he tried to pull the trigger.

_“I’ll miss you, Captain.”_

_Captain…_

_Captain…_

He wasn’t conscious of how hard he was clenching his teeth until he finally forced himself to fire. Telling himself it’s just a target. Just something he’d done thousands of times through his life. A simple pull of the trigger. Concentrate, aim, breathe, fire.

The feedback from his arms and the muffled metallic clang in his ears told him nothing had changed. It was just a target.

Not his Piers.

Piers was in a better place now. Had to be.

_Leave the suffering to me._

He worked hard, harder than he ever had to keep the unfavourable emotions from influencing his actions. Feeling the texture of the grip through his gloves, the pressing of the earmuffs on the sides of his head. The faint smell of gunpowder from the shot.

He tried to associate those to happier times.

Time on the STARS team. Training Jill at the range. Winning the marksmanship trophy. Getting actual recognition from his captain at the time that he was a real asset to the team.

It’s just training.

He used to shoot to unwind.

He still should.

BANG!

The first shot was always the hardest. Many soon followed. For once he was able to get in the zone of firing practice. The familiar routine of aiming and firing finally taking his mind off the debilitating thoughts.

From his peripheral vision he saw a flash of light, almost like a lightning bolt. He paused, turning to see Quint Cetcham with an array of devices and instruments as well as a heavy rifle.

Intrigued, Chris stepped back from his lane and removed his earmuffs.

“Jackass! Didn’t see you earlier. What’s with all the gear?”

“Just a quick test on the new weapons. I was told our mighty Redwing might be around here, and Jill’s never had much patience for the boys’ toys like you and I. So how about it, give your old mate a hand?”

Chris studied the silver barrelled rifles with interest. It reminded him of a heavily modified sniper rifle. He had, of course, more than a passing interest in sniper rifles, given his partner’s preferences.

He took the rifle from Quint. It was heavy, there were leads connecting parts that spilled everywhere, and ergonomics features are far from optimal, but a rifle is a rifle.

“Aim this way, Chris, and hold extra steady for a moment. Don’t hold the trigger, just a little squeeze. Tap and go.”

He lifted the rifle with some effort to his shoulder. The unbalanced loading made it hard to aim, but nothing he couldn’t get used to.

Tsssokkk!

Chris raised his eyebrows at the unexpected lack of recoil. The sound was also far less jarring to his protected ears.

“What the fuck. There’s no kick!” He looked over the weapon and his hands in disbelief.

“Energy weapons are like that. Old habits die hard, but you’ll get used to it.” Said the engineer-turned-tech-wizard with a toothy smile.

“I thought this was fiction stuff.” Chris said, taking a closer look at the weapon Quint gave him. The rifle was weighted with rather bulky energy packs and a lengthy barrel. It was almost as unwieldy as Piers’ anti-materiel rifle.

“Been a long time coming, but held in development purgatory because there wasn’t a real need when conventional weaponry did its job. Plus I looked over some of Kaison’s researchdata on BOWs and it seemed to push through some old hurdles. I’d say you controlled the aim fairly well. Still, it’s not bad for a prototype.” Quint shrugged.

“Not bad!?” Chris scowled as he looked at the target he demolished, and then at the one he aimed at. “That level of inaccuracy would never be allowed on the field! What if we hit a friendly? What if it arced back at me?”

“Well, uhh… we don’t have a good way of refining the aim of energy weapons. The beam doesn’t have defined projectiles… then there is so much variance based on factors like adjacent electrical charges, localised path permittivity and all that… you know.”

Chris squinted in confusion but did not question further. He held the stock to his shoulder and aimed again at his original target and charged the trigger.

Tssok! His target was grazed this time, causing enough damage to shatter the mound.

“See, it’s not all bad!” Quint pumped his fist.

Chris gave a slight smile as he shook his head. Even given his interest and aptitude, Piers would have complained nonstop about how unreliable and unsafe the weapon was. He could probably do a better job on it too. Quint was renowned for his output as much as his quirkiness. Of course, matters of approval and testing of his projects had long been issues plaguing the leadership. As his ambitions and projects grew, so did the amount of paperwork and testing. There had been far too many ‘one shot wonders’ from his workshops, and were it not for his long standing productivity as one of the earliest members in the organisation he probably wouldn’t have half the green lights he did.

“I’m not denying the fact this bad boy produce results, but how many soldiers do you know who won’t mind lugging 20 kilos around and firing this thing from the shoulder?”

“Hmm, you, and your Ace Lieutenant, for starters. Parker can probably use it if he tries real hard. I’m not going to let Keith the pussy puss touch them. Then again, I made these mostly for the two of you anyway. The lighter, smaller models would take too much time.” Quint laughed, showing Chris some of the other prototype plans.

“Right, and time’s not something we have much of…”

Whup –whup- whup…

Chris’ introspective thoughts were interrupted by the familiar sound of an inbound helicopter. They both looked up, seeing one of the BSAA’s Black Hawks approach from the south, making a direct beeline for the medical helipad. It was only from the lack of the gunfire in the range that he realised a commotion may have already been in place at the helipad. He wasn’t aware of a recent operation, even if he was out of the loop.

He wondered who was injured, how bad it was. Were they going to be alright? Every BSAA soldier was close to his heart, even if he didn’t always show it. Every casualty gnawed at him, especially after his recent, still painful loss. Perhaps concerns for his fellow soldiers remained one of the few things that kept him going?

He decided he should check the casualty out. See if things were OK. If he wasn’t fit to be on the ground wreaking havoc, he could still play support here on base. Piers always said he was inspirational. Assuming Piers wasn’t biased, which he probably was, at least it’s something he can do, for now.

* * *

 

End of Chapter bonus file

Extracted by Ada and Leon from the Luosheng Neo Umbrella facility

Security Classification: Level 10

#### Project C files- from the personal archive of Ada Wong

I have been getting closer and closer towards my goal. The projects that have begun decades ago by those before me shall at last come to fruition in my hands.

Some called the Tyrant BOW line the perfect lifeform. Some thought Uroborous was the panacea for ushering in a new global order, but the instrumentality of the C-virus has them all beat where creating the ultimate lifeform is concerned.

It was with some luck that I stumbled across data pertaining Umbrella’s Wesker Project. It seemed that Umbrella was on the cusp of being able to create a group of trained, elite agents with superior intellectual capabilities, then providing superhuman physical augmentation based on DNA hybridisation with a variant of the experimental progenitor virus.

The progenitor virus was apparently distributed to the various Wesker subjects around the world, all groomed from youth, all who excelled physically and intellectually. To their detriment, most of the subjects did not survive due to the lethality of the virus. Given our own problems with the C-virus projects, that was to be expected.

Everyone had thought the project would end with Oswell Spencer’s death and the disbanding of Umbrella. However their ideals lived on. Simmons’ digging into classified intel suggested Albert Wesker had murdered Spencer and tried to bring forth his version of forced evolution of humanity with the Uroborus virus. Even then, Wesker- the self-proclaimed pinnacle of human evolution, union of intellect, genetics and augmentation had failed miserably by the hand of Redfield and the BSAA.

I’ll admit, Wesker had good ideas. He had come so close. Deployment of airborne viral agents by loaded missile warhead is simple, deadly, effective, and nigh impossible to stop once deployed. With a simple failsafe, we can use this for ourselves the right way. The Uroborous virus has its flaws, however. The mutation is too selective and specific for compatible hosts for it to be widely deployed. The transformation is too barbaric and invasive, the effect overly reliant on dosage precision, and it still leaves clear weaknesses in the subject. On its own it would be too lethal, with no way of controlling the infected subjected.

I still believe the technological means of developing a supersoldier is almost upon us. In the name of national security, Simmons had procured and stored a sample of the experimental progenitor virus within the Simmons Foundation, and when I tried to concoct our C-virus I was finally able to get my hands on the sample.

At the time we were too focused on developing the C-virus for perfection. However Simmons brought forth the idea of creating a new individual via the C-virus’ cocoon effect.

I don’t agree for a moment with what Simmons did to me, but I could say that I, Ada Wong, am the first ‘supersoldier’ augmented by the C-virus. However, it wasn’t until I established my own labs and Neo Umbrella that I can perfect the plans started by the ones before me.

Project Wesker required a particular bloodline and a perfect vector. Albert Wesker was the only one who survived, although intel suggested an isolated incident possibly involving another Wesker, BSAA advisor Barry Burton and TerraSave operatives in 2011. Unfortunately for our research, Wesker was killed in 2009, and we do not have any samples of his DNA.

The breakthrough came with knowledge that Albert Wesker left behind a bastard son. Jake Muller. If he has inherited his father’s genetic resilience, he can be transformed and augmented with the C-virus as a vector.

Simmons, being the usual blind bat sought to terminate Muller, but this was my chance. I was able to capture and study Muller’s blood extensively. Sharing Albert’ genetic heritage, he possesses intrinsic resistant to the C-virus and developed antibodies for it after exposure. Although this grants him C-viral immunity, I was able to repurpose the antibodies in the establishment of Project B to create a C-virus vaccine to protect Neo Umbrella Personnel. This would be a primary weapon against Simmons’ wretched Family before they can develop a vaccine.

Jake Muller’s bloodline resilience also means he should be able to receive the experimental progenitor virus prototype, which is far more lethal. I had studied the materials and serums Excella Gionne and Tricell sent to us back in 2008 and made modifications to tame the most aggressive parts of the progenitor virus with Jake’s own blood. I need Jake is to be kept as the control subject and the source of antibodies, but there’s no need to stop experimenting. Provided I find a suitable host, I am 90% certain that I can recreate Jake Muller’s doppelganger with the C-virus, whereby which I can incubate the maturing chrysalid the progenitor virus to imbue the superior speed, strength, reflex and regenerative potential that Albert Wesker was known for and possibly avoid the setbacks completely. Just in case, I have procured extra vials of Wesker’s PG67A/W serum should this new Wesker doppelganger require it.

With that in mind I am going to establish Project C, the keystone of my research, consisting of four major steps.

Step 1: find a suitable male subject who have affinity with Jake’s DNA.

Step two: use the original C-virus as a vector to transform the subject’s DNA to that of Jake Muller, whom I will codename Subject C.

Step three: incubate the chrysalid of Subject C with the progenitor virus to achieve physical augmentation.

Step four: inject the developed Enhanced C-virus from project A into Subject C to achieve control, regenerative capability and who knows what other powers we can play with.

In doing so I can combine the perfect augmented bloodline with the perfected form of the C-virus for unlimited regenerative potential and combat enhancement, and he will be perfectly controlled by me based on the C-virus collective consciousness.

I will finish what Oswell Spencer, Albert Wesker and Derek Simmons cannot do. I will create the first supersoldier, the ultimate bioweapon who will be under my perfect and exclusive control and secure Neo Umbrella’s position as the leading non-government power. I will no longer need anyone else for my plans to bring Simmons and his Family down. This will be- my greatest creation through and through.

_Additional entry, June 2012:_

We are days away from Subject C’s awakening. My estimate is he will awaken before Haos is even ready for Plan D. The first three steps have gone without a hitch, but just in case, I am going to plant a number of decoy chrysalids as Simmons has upped his scrutiny of Neo Umberlla’s operations. I hope he finds them, and I hope he realises how much of a missed opportunity he let slip in asking me to terminate Muller. Should the fool dare to strike against his own country, Neo Umbrella and I stand ready to take the crown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the very, very long delay. I am enjoying a well deserved break following the submission of my thesis. Will work at adding to the ending arc and completing this work in the coming weeks. Thank you to all my readers for your patient support and hope you have enjoyed the miscellaneous one-shots in the interim!  
> Special thanks to Nimrod262 for beta edits, suggestions and keeping me motivated.  
> Theo


	37. Who am I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The infiltration to Carla's labs had been a litany of disasters, but despite his penchant for getting into trouble, Leon had managed to evacuate Piers back to BSAA care. The teams at Sichuan prepares for Piers' arrival and treatment as Piers ponders his own existence.

_“Piers! This isn’t over, you hear me? Stay with me!”_

It was dark, but not exceedingly so, with the faintest of light on the horizon. He couldn’t see or hear anyone else present, and it felt peaceful, sheltered and protected from anything outside. It was a realm where he felt only his consciousness, as if he was in a large bubble under the ocean, where he had sat and rested for a very, very long time.

_I deserve it… I haven’t rested for so long…_

He couldn’t exactly recall or remember much about himself, or who his is. He hasn’t forgotten, but one only needs a sense of self when there is a sense of another. The loneliness didn’t frighten him. It felt like home.

Just a little rest. He’ll be safe.

* * *

 

His peace was disturbed when he felt the light grew in the horizon, and what ‘seemed’ like a comet growing brighter and brighter.

He felt a connection with the foreign entity, in the sense that they were… similar. He tried to reach out. Who was it? What were they up to?

By instinct he reached into the light. The connection washed out everything in his world.

Then the pain hit him.

Waves of ice picks jabbed at the edges of his consciousness, like a mirror shattered and falling apart to thousands of pieces. Serrated edges- sharp and pointy were cutting into nerves and will, leaving his mind in a lattice of scars. Connection to the past that were being severed mercilessly. His conscience was fragmenting as millions of voices tried to rewrite his history.

As he adjusted to the pain he caught glimpses of the man’s memories- flashes of insights, research knowledge of viral vectors, of Simmons’ highest security lab, of love and betrayal.

He held on as long as he could, trying to search for fragments that could help them both until he couldn’t anymore. He retreated from the light, shutting off the connection for a moment to regain his composure.

When he ‘saw’ again he saw a face, frightened and contorted in pain. Short hair. Pale skin. High brow ridges.

Jake Muller.

The eyes opened, and red pupils flashed for a moment before turning to a dull gray, then shut again.

What’s Jake doing here?

“Jake?” He called out. “Jake!”

Yet something tells him this was more than Jake. This must be Jake’s doppelganger. The one Moira said she called ‘Drake.’

“Drake, wake up!”

He could see the eyes rolled around beneath the eyelids, trying to possess the voice, the name. It didn’t stir. Eventually his connection with the man faded away, leaving him one lingering thought.

Who am I?

Thankfully, the answer came to him at once.

I am Piers Nivans.

His mind hazily tried to connect what was happening. Something to do with the virus. This… this must be Subject C. Carla used the Enhanced C-virus from him.

“Wake up!” He tried to ‘help’ the entity.

He could see the eyes flutter wildly beneath the lids, but he was trapped in the world and torment of his own.

There was nothing more Piers could do.

* * *

 

Shortly after, his solace was again disturbed with senses of further anguish. A mind, torn and furious, a personality that could not bear to live with herself, with anyone else. Carla Radames. It was as if his world was awash with the white hot emotions of anger, betrayal, a desire for vengeance, filled with a burning hatred of humanity and the world as he knew it.

The entity tore herself apart, each with the same measure of hatred of self, of one another, and they fell away in disunity. He didn’t quite understand what happened, but where there was one, now there were many.

Many Carla Radames. Each with shades of darkness in their hearts, their own plans for wrestling back control and dominance in the only way they knew how- eliminating all others.

They too, faded away from his mind with their bickering and confusion.

He understood now, he could connect to others injected with the enhanced C-virus through strong emotional events. Perhaps they too have that connection to him.

It took some time for Piers to gather back his thoughts. With a remote sense of curiosity, and now a sense of enduring calm and inspiration, he began to ponder the more philosophical side of existence. Who is Carla Radames now? Is she Ada Wong? What then, is a clone of Carla?

She was obviously no longer who she was, but neither was she who she was moulded to be. Who did she really wanted, aspired to be?

Should _I_ be who I was, or who I aspire to be?

What did it mean to live as a clone of someone else? What does one make of their existence? What makes one different from another? What if he was Carla? What if Carla was him?

He could see it now. Carla sought control over everything, because she had no control over her own sense of self and identity. She resented being played and controlled by Simmons so much she would control the entire planet for the sake of a sense of security.

He too, has been lustful for control. Wanting it. Seeking it. Still desiring it. Where Carla’s control was directed outwardly, his was directed inwardly. He wanted to make the best of himself. He wanted to master his thoughts and emotions, weaknesses and strengths, personality and character. That was the least he can do to continue his tenure as an operative, as a BSAA officer, especially one infected with a powerful virus capable of uncharted mutation.

Is the enhanced C-virus a gift or a curse? Had it taken away who he was, or had it already added more to who he is?

Some people wished for nothing but that the world would be filled with copies of themselves. Others couldn’t even stand someone remotely like them. Is that one’s responsibility? To be a kind of person that you can live with, that others can live with? What if he’s not the only Piers Nivans? What if there was a better Piers out there? Would he still be able to be himself, to be able to live with himself?

Was he the same Piers he was before Lanshiang? Did he really _want_ to be the same Piers he was despite what he tells himself?

Then why couldn’t Carla?

He couldn’t say he grew up knowing exactly what he wanted to do. There was a broad sense of direction- be the best of what he was, raise cultural awareness, serve in the military, do whatever good he can.

He didn’t ask to be born into a military family, but he couldn’t imagine living under a different moral compass and the emphasis on duty and honour passed to him through four serving and decorated generations. He didn’t ask to be a sharpshooter, but it was a talent and legacy passed to him through his great grandfather and his grandfather, and with a lot of personal perseverance, he had climbed onto the apex of snipers of his generation among America’s army.

He didn’t ask to be homosexual either. So many individuals presumed it was a choice one makes at a point, something they have to be sure about. Perhaps to defy order, to express deviation. It is an experience someone not in the know could never fully understand. Sexuality was simply an extension of his character. Piers didn’t choose to be gay, just like he didn’t choose to be left handed. It was part of him, made him different, and in a minority, but he could see the advantages of each over the course of his life.

Yes, he could live with his choices and character. Piers is Piers. He could have done more, said less perhaps. With Chris at his side, he couldn’t say there was much more he wanted in life. Save for the archetypal answer of ‘world peace’.

Because this world really did need it.

He would be quite content with making their organisation redundant and be out of a job, where he and his rifle would only be good for sport and hunting if it meant all the horrors and suffering and consequences taking place all around the world would be gone forever.

Perhaps he is different. After all, he’s one of ‘them’ now, a living bioorganic weapon striving to maintain whatever humanity that was left. But that’s not all he is. That was his choice. He chose to make it happen- he needed power and survival to save Chris. He knew now, that even if he and Chris were at the top of their game, their chances of besting Haos down there was next to zero.

He didn’t expect to survive the encounter. Nor remain himself. But fate was kinder than she should be to him, perhaps.

Nor did he expect Chris to admit their feelings for each other had been mutual. Piers smiled. Desperation doesn’t always have to lead to despair. Sometimes it can lead to breakthrough. Goodness knows if he’ll ever let Chris know about his feelings otherwise. He would have taken it to the grave.

If he had to choose again he’d tell Chris far earlier. He wasn’t the same Piers he was anymore. He is more. Far more.

* * *

 

Jill and Claire met Piers’ arrival themselves at the BSAA facility. Rebecca, Kaison and a team of medical staff were already on standby at the medical helipad.

Claire watched with mounting concern at Piers’ weakened form as he was transferred from the medevac. He was a mess of blood and slime, pale and unconscious. His lips were almost a dull gray, and his cheeks the colour of old chalk. The usual vibrancy, confidence and attentiveness were nowhere to be found, and Claire bit her lip praying to whoever was listening that this wasn’t the end.

The emergency team transferred Piers’ stretcher on a trolley and rushed him to the theatre. There was relief that he has made it back, but he was far from being in the clear.

After finding a moment to take a few deep breaths, Claire asked, “He’s back. How do we tell Chris?”

Jill had obviously been pondering the same question. She was silent for a moment, before shaking her head, as if to shake away any unpleasant thoughts and conclusions.

“We’ll tell Chris when Piers has stabilised, or at least, when we know he’s going to make it. I think they’ll both need each other then. I don’t have the heart to keep them apart any longer.” She really hopes Piers pulls through, that whatever the virus is doing it is healing him and not claiming him. She hadn’t witnessed Piers’ prior transformation process like Chris had, and seeing Piers now had brought back many unpleasant memories from her time watching Tricells’ Uroborous experiments, as well as her own time in confinement.

“Rebecca.” Jill called after the medic-turned-professor.

“Yes Jill.”

“Please check over his vitals and genes. Work out and undo whatever Carla did to him and make sure he’s stable and not a threat to himself or others. No more traumatic episodes. I can only release the news to Chris and the rest of the guys once you can vouch for his safety. Can you do that for us?”

“I will, Jill.” She nodded with a quiet confidence, and the door closed behind her at the theatre.

Jill gave a faint smile. Yesterday’s rookie of Bravo is today’s expert. Everyone had all grown up now, each bearing the scars and resolutions through the years.

“I’ll need to set up defences and shore up security at once in case Neo Umbrella comes looking for Piers. I won’t make the same mistake after Moira’s incident. Claire- please keep monitoring Piers’ condition and get the OK with Rebecca before letting Chris know, I’ll leave that to you. Leon’s team is still in the heat. I’ll need to check if they need backup.” Jill said, giving Claire’s shoulder a squeeze and headed off with her subordinates.

* * *

 

Claire sat with Moira outside the operation theatre until the light was switched off and the team of weary doctors and nurses exited the room with reassuring nods. They stood aside to let the team transfer Piers out to a high security ward and followed quietly, entering the room filled with instruments and a number of chairs around Piers’ bed.

“How is he?” Claire sat with Kaison and Rebecca who had observed through the surgery, looking exhausted but relieved.

Rebecca exchanged a look with Kaison and nodded. “Things are looking stable,” she said, scanning over her files, snapshots and scribbled notes. “He was in a state of borderline dehydration, hyperthermia and loss of blood. The virus gave him a really high regenerative potential, and it shut down his body for healing. You know- kind of like how our body actually runs a fever to fight off a virus. Because of his water loss, if he continued relying on his own regeneration the hyperthermia would have been a concern. On top of that, there were entry wounds but we found no bullets in him, so there wasn’t much the surgeons needed to do, no signs of significant physical trauma, so rather we conducted a series of tests and checked his vitals.”

“What about the mess of fluid, any signs of mutation?” Claire couldn’t shake that image of Piers drenched in slime out of her head. It reminded her too much of Steve, and she’s not prepared to say goodbye any more than her brother would.

“It was a defensive mechanism, Kaison reasoned it was the internal liquid armour which absorbed the bullets’ energy before it damaged his organs. It also acted as an aseptic against his wounds and helped them close, like an ointment. His body is repairing itself once it has the nutrients to do so. Still, given he didn’t attack Leon back then from reflex or instinct on the way here, I’d say he’s still very much in control.”

Claire looked over Piers now, who was tucked under a light blanket and hooked up to drips and the usual monitoring equipment. There were no visible scars to be seen on his skin or face except some pink patches showing the most recent injuries. The fluid was gone. She didn’t want to ask if they cleaned it or it got washed off.

“How many shots?” she asked, knowing Leon’s capabilities. She found herself liking the blond agent far less seeing how hurt her unofficial brother in law was.

“Four. Three in vital areas. No other man would have survived, but let’s just say it takes a lot more than that to down our Piers now.” Kaison said, offering an apologetic smile. “He is after all, very enhanced.”

“His temperature is somewhat restored now.” Rebecca said, seeing Claire check his forehead. “Even with the bullets, it was lucky Leon found him when he did. He had lost at least half his blood. If it wasn’t for his strengthened physiology and regenerative potential he might not have made it.”

“Is he put under or still unconscious from the injury?” She asked, seeing Piers’ eyes still tightly closed, but his long lashes were twitching once in a while, and his brows were knitted in deep concentration.

“We’ll let him rest. He would have been under a lot of stress and mental trauma being captive and need time to distant himself. This is very important. We’ve decided not to give him any drugs that may disrupt his cognitive abilities, but one never knows with things like that.” She said.

“We also found a pouch in his items with these.” Kaison pulled out a number of injectors. “They are probably the enhanced C-virus. We’ll take one for study and keep the rest in a secure location if Piers wants to know what happened to them. They will need to be highly secured.”

“Alright, but make sure it’s safe.” Claire said, brows fully furrowed. Little did she know it was Piers’ mission from the onset- he was going to deliver the original injector from Carla’s briefcase to the labs before using it on himself.

“Is his condition stable? Will he recover? Any threat of mutations or losing control?” Moira asked for Claire’s behalf.

Kaison spoke up. “As far as I know his vitals look good. We can’t ever guarantee everything is fine as we don’t know what the enhanced C-virus can do, but he’s definitely out of the danger zone now. The virus is part of his physiology, it can’t let him go. We couldn’t find traces of the snake venom in his blood anymore, though we did find his antibodies, so he must have found a way to neutralise it.”

Claire sighed in relief. “Do you think it’s alright for my brother to know then?”

“You and I both know the pain Chris is in.” Rebecca said. “I could heal his arm, his wounds, but I could never help him get over his grief, from Raccoon City, to now. I’d let Piers rest overnight, and you can let Chris know first thing tomorrow morning.”

“Thank the heavens, thank you for both your help.” Claire said, squeezing Kaison and Rebecca’s hand respectively.

“We’ll run some more analysis on the blood and antibodies, update Jill and work on a more extensive report. Page us if you have any more questions.” Rebecca stretched as Kaison stifled a yawn, they nodded and took their leave.

* * *

 

“You should take a break Moira, I’ve got this.” Claire said. She had decided she won’t be leaving Piers alone until he wakes. She is going to try her hardest to be there for him.

Moira’s lips parted in protest, but she saw the determination in Claire’s eyes. “Sure thing. I’ll uh… grab a snack or something. You want something?”

She shook her head, and as the door clicked close behind Moira, Claire relaxed a little hearing the light beep and click as the electronic lock reengaged. The door required level 10 clearance. Only Jill and the doctor in charge could authorise access from outside. Everyone else would have to use the intercom.

She sat and watched over Piers, thinking back on their every interaction- her first impression of him as a bright young lieutenant in the charms of her brother. His eventually curiosity over his habits and quirks, and how she had figured out there was more behind Piers’ inquiry than sheer admiration before he was ready to share.

She was glad she had to keep his secret no more. This man is family now. She wasn’t sure if Piers would ever bare his feelings to Chris, but now they belong to each other.

Does that mean she has Carla to thank for their relationship progress? She almost chuckled at the thought. Adversity breeds strength. She had seen it transform Chris. Transform Steve. Transform herself, Moira, Natalia, Sherry, and now cemented Piers and Chris’ relationship.

Her peace did not last for long. The lock beeped signalling signs of entry, but it’s too soon for Jill to be back. Are they under attack?

She quickly drew the curtain closed around Piers, arming herself with a fork and a metal tray as the authentication process completed and the lock disengaged.

Claire held the tray up over her head as the door opened, ready to smash if the person wasn’t blonde.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait again! Been travelling and getting some much needed relaxation. Hope you enjoyed the update.


	38. Here In Your Arms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris is intrigued by the arrival of a medevac to their facility. Why couldn't he tear his mind away from questioning who it was? Why couldn't his conscience drop the answer that had kept him haunted and wanting?

It took a while for Chris to help Quint dismantle the energy rifle and put the range back to safe mode. As helpful as he tried to be, the whole time his mind ran scenarios of who was in the chopper. One half of his mind kept suggesting one answer, and the other adamantly denied it each time it came up. He didn’t need to have false hope. It was simply impossible. He’s too old for emotional tugs of wars.

He bid Quint “Jackass” Cetcham farewell, running straight up the stairs and onto the medical helipad anyway. Predictably, by the time he made it there, the casualty had already been transferred, and the chopper had ascended on its way back to the hanger. He nodded absent-mindedly to the signalling crew, knowing that they would not break protocol and divulge intelligence.

He knows the medical wing like the back of his hand now, having spent the better parts of July in there and many ‘mandatory’ counselling sessions since. With an uneasy feeling down to the pit of his stomach, he dragged his boots to check the quarantine room first, the room where they setup the tank for Piers’ pod. The empty containment tank was still there, in the deathly quiet, empty room, tearing open the scars in an equally empty heart.

He rushed to Piers’ old suite, and his heart sank further seeing his gown hung up neatly as they left it when he ‘moved in’.

The hospital wing suddenly felt so foreign. He thought he knew the place well, but he was now a stranger wandering through one white corridor after another. So many faces suddenly seemed unrecognisable, and the ones he knew were nowhere to be seen. Jill was apparently back at command, Claire and Moira weren’t in their rooms, and neither were Rebecca or Kaison.

They probably were all at some mission. He thought grimly. Or a late lunch. Or something came up. He wasn’t really fit to be involved in anything anyway. Not now.

If that was what he wanted, why did he feel so desperately alone and isolated inside?

_Or maybe it’s something to do with Piers. Because Piers is alive. And he’s back._

He struck his palm with his fist and tried to stay rational as he wandered around. It’s not Piers. It’ll never be Piers. He had to stop giving himself false hope.

_Yet everyone had disappeared. Maybe Piers is back._

He sighed. His thoughts were always of Piers ever since the day he’d left him behind. He was stuck. He knows he needs to move on, but he was never good at letting go. He couldn’t let go. He shouldn’t let go.

He couldn’t let go of Jill either. Jill made it. So did Piers, the first time. Despite what he saw with his eyes, he had to keep denying the fact Piers was gone. Somewhere within he carried the hope that so long as he kept believing, maybe there was a chance, ever so infinitesimally small, but a chance that he’d find him again.

Simply put, the alternative was to give up, and try to face the reality of never seeing him again.

Chris Redfield doesn’t give up. Not on his partners.

As he wandered aimlessly through the corridors in his inner turmoil he finally thought he saw Moira head out a corner and down the stairs. He called after her, but his voice didn’t carry through the windy corners. He back traced her steps, and found himself outside a top security ward. There was no nameplate. It didn’t seem occupied.

He didn’t even register seeing the intercom next to the door. He simply pressed his security pass to the reader from auto-pilot, and his heart lurched when it turned green with a satisfying beep.

_Please let me find what I need in there…_

His hand gripped hard on the door handle, and he trembled for a moment, knowing he knew he would either get the shock of his life, or the deepest disappointment yet again. Hope is an all or nothing gamble.

So he wagered as he always did.

He pushed the door open decisively. It was dark inside. A white curtain drawn around a bed.

He was not ready for seeing his own reflection on a shiny metal tray quickly approaching his face.

Years of battle-honed instinct saved him, putting a fist sized dent in the metal as it flew away. A high, familiar, screech of ‘OWWW! Let go!’ resonated in his ear as his caught the attacker’s wrist in a steel grip.

“Wait!!!” She gritted through her teeth, vainly gripped at Chris’ arm trying to get free. Chris really doesn’t know his own strength. Not in self defense anyway.

“Chrisss!!” His own name brought him back to the present. Confused eyes swung to meet the clear blue of a freckled, familiar face.

“Claire! What the fuck!” His heart was racing with the spiking surges of adrenaline from being attacked in the darkened room. He let go as her fingers pried off his own from her wrist and she clutched her own wrist, rubbing the spot furiously to lessen the pain, and he stared into the relieved eyes of his sister as they both tried to get their breathing under control.

“You’re always like this. Creeping up on people and punch first ask later.” Claire complained as she turned the light on, ignoring the irony that the statement applied just as often to herself.

“Creeping? Who turned the lights out and jumped on me in the dark?” Chris said, as memories of their youth resurfaced.

“You started it!” Little had changed through the years.

“No, you started it! You clearly had a weapon ready.” Chris said, his tone almost rising back to the tenor of his youth.

“Yeah well you aren’t supposed to barge in here!”

“Yeah well, a door had never stopped me.” He said, banging it for emphasis.

“Shhh!” Claire hushed, staring around as she closed the door.

His burdens forgotten for a moment, as Chris came to his senses he made out the familiar steady beeps of the ECG. He took a step forward towards a bed with closed curtains. He no longer paid attention to whatever his own sister was saying. His eyes glossed over the concerned but gentle eyebrows on her face, crossing the room in three broad strides and drew open the curtain.

A stubbled man lay unconscious, tired, thin and looking worse for wear. His hair was in a far greater mess than he’d be caught dead in, and his face was dry and pale, but he knew at once that was his partner under the blanket.

He didn’t care though. This is Piers. Piers is alive. God knows how he did.

_Piers is back._

_Piers is back._

_Piers is fucking back._

* * *

 

Chris dragged a chair over and sat next to Piers. He didn’t even take in a single word Claire was saying, nor did he ask any questions. He carefully laid a hand on Piers’ hair, feeling the thatch of soft latte brown on his hand, the faint scent of Piers on his nose, and he found Piers’ hand under the blanket and held it.

Claire gave up after repeating the statement three times. Evidently Chris is a unitasker. Boyfriend first. Family second. Still, this was the Chris she’d much preferred to have back than the sullen, brooding shell of man in the last week.

She pouted as she sat herself down, rubbing a little of the medical ointment over her wrist. She is going to get a nasty bruise from that grip.

At least she won’t have to break the news to him now. Nothing compares to him seeing with his own eyes.

She watched quietly as Chris held Piers’ hand in his own and sat like a statue, oblivious to her and his surroundings. This must be what love looks like, Chris Redfield style. She then thought about what a beautiful picture it was the scene in front of her. Her brother being so devoted to his partner.

_Piers, you’re a hell of a lucky guy._

Her thoughts were crudely interrupted when the room shuddered with loud snoring.

“Chris!!” She put her hands to her hips, exasperated that Chris could actually fall asleep sitting next to Piers while still holding his hand.

She could understand though. Chris definitely hadn’t had a good night’s sleep since losing Piers. He could finally relax now, at the side of the one he thought he’d lost forever.

The snoring intensified- by now Chris had toppled over, and his head was resting on Piers’ chest.

Chris’ snoring also brought back memories. Chris snored really badly every time he lacked sleep. She remembered his first visit after boot camp. She couldn’t sleep at all that night. It was like sleeping with a grizzly in the house, and her earphones playing Enya as loudly as possible didn’t help.

The bear returned after each deployment, and well, he’s back again here and now.

“Hope you’re not a light sleeper, Piers.” She smiled, updating Jill with the new development on her phone and dimmed the lights.

* * *

 

Piers was feeling better. His mind had cleared, but his inner world had gotten noisier. Something sounded like constant thundering to his ears, and there was a pressure on his chest. He felt disorientated, but strangely secure and content. His hand was warm, and he could detect a scent that always comforted him.

Chris’ scent.

Chris must be near.

The thundering got louder. Piers shuddered as the sensations slowly returned in his body, his hands and feet. There was the usual soreness from overexertion. The pain on his chest where the bullets struck. He was having difficulty breathing. Something heavy was seemingly crushing the air out of his lungs.

Really heavy. He started to worry for his ribs.

He gasped, and awoke with a jolt.

Heavy snoring greeted his ears, then he could make out the faint beeps of the usual instruments. He was in the hospital again, and after a brief reorientation, the scent and heat told him that Chris must have fallen asleep on his chest. He stayed still, and slowly tried to open his eyes. The room was dark, but he had become very sensitive to the light.

He could ‘see’ Chris even without fully opening his eyes. There was someone else in the room too. Sitting quietly in a corner. He could see she was resting too. He tried to get a better look. It must be Claire based on her silhouette.

Wait. He shouldn’t be able to see her from his angle.

“Chris?” He tried to talk, but his throat was raw and dry, and only let out a dry hiss.

The snoring Captain gave a stifled snot and suddenly jolted awake.

“Uggghhhhh.” He rolled his head on the toned chest beneath him, found the edge of the bed and pushed himself up, wiping his eyes with one hand while squeezing Piers with the other. That was when their eyes met for the first time in forever. Both were far from having their best foot forward, but it was strangely fitting.

“Captain.” Piers mouthed quietly, followed by a dry cough.

Chris shook his head awake as he stood, clanging around the bed as he looked for water.

“Water!” He said as he clumsily looked everywhere.

Claire jolted awake too at the commotion, turned the light on dimly and pressed a glass to Chris’ hand. Chris nodded thanks, and carefully tilted the glass to Piers’ mouth, raising him up tenderly with an arm around his back for a drink.

Piers quietly gulped the whole glass, and he found his vision hazy as Claire dialled up the light a bit.

He raised a hand to shield himself, and his eyes watered from the sensitivity.

“It’s OK now,” Chris said, blocking the light with his shadow, giving Piers a second glass of water. “You’re safe with me.”

Piers nodded, and slowly met Chris’ gaze. It was at first tired, but gentle, loving. Chris blinked and rubbed his eyes, turning away to look at the light and back again. He could see the confusion, misunderstanding, shock and even a hint of terror in his face.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

Chris sat up and cocked his head as he took a closer look at Piers.

“What’s wrong with me?” He tried to quell the panic in his voice.

“Piers… your eye…” He waved a hand over Piers’ right eye.

“What about it!” Piers freaked out for a moment. He could see, but it was strange, there was colour, but there also wasn’t, just shapes and outlines.

He blinked.

“Try… seeing out of one eye.” Chris said, glancing across at Claire who also examined Piers with furrowed brows.

“I’m not a monster, am I?” Piers said, closing his right eye. He saw perfectly from his preferred eye. He the closed his left eye, and saw a world of shapes, details, edges, depth and position in a strange muted representation of three dimensional space.

“What’s happening to my sight? Chris!” Piers clutched his eye as he blinked. He held the glass, trying to see his own reflection in the distorted water.

Chris passed him a mirror with a concerned look.

Piers looked at himself, a ghastly mess of his hair on a pale face. He roamed a hand trying to fix his hair, but it was the least of his worries. A drop of tear fell as he saw himself- his left eye was its usual golden hazel, but on his right eye- his pupil had constricted, and the iris was the colour of a moonlit silver, staring right back at him, eerily foreign, as if gazing right into his soul.

He couldn’t help but panic. A sniper’s vision was almost as important as his trigger finger. He had hoped he wouldn’t lose that eye to the virus after the initial infection. Is he finally mutating? Was the virus taking over here, of all times in front of Chris?

Is history going to repeat itself?

“Shit!” He avoided Chris’ eyes as he looked under his shirt. He felt himself for anything foreign, his hands, arms, elbows, knees, legs and feet.

Thankfully, apart from bandages and padding, everything seemed to check out.

“Hey, it’s OK.” Chris was fully alert now that his partner needed him. He put both hands on his shoulders and tried to be as calm as he could.

“You’re gonna be OK. Just stay calm, alright?” He gazed deeply into Piers’ eyes with reassurance. Yet he also dreaded a repeat of the scene which he had saw him last.

Piers nodded quietly, and glanced over to Claire who also forced a smile.

He closed his eyes, willing everything to go back to normal.

_Just let me be me, please?_

“Woah.” Chris said as Piers opened his eyes again, both eyes back to golden hazel that he had often lost himself in.

“Ugh.” Piers nursed his forehead as he regained his binocular vision. The good news was he could switch this new… mutation off. The bad news was it gave a heck of a migraine, like something was crawling out of his skull. He almost thought he was going to grow horns or a third eye or something He sank back on his pillow exhausted, but relieved, gasping.

“We’ll get to the bottom of this. You’ll be fine.” Chris said, in his ‘Captain’ voice, the one that always seemed to put a lost or panicking soldier at ease.

“You’ve made it back to us now Piers. Everything is going to be OK.” Claire added. “Should I get the doctors?”

“No!” Piers said, then he waited. “I mean. Yes, but I’m …”

“Don’t be afraid.” Chris said. “I’m not leaving you whatever it is. Claire, give us a moment, and call on Rebecca and Kaison, but only them, can you do that for me?”

“I will.” Claire said, looking at her watch. “It’s late, but let us in once I buzz the intercom.”

* * *

 

“Piers.” Chris clasped both of Piers’ shoulders. “Piers listen to me. Look me in the eye!”

Piers finally met Chris’ gaze.

“I haven’t the slightest idea what’s been going on or what you had to go through. Last time I saw ‘you’ I had to put a bullet to your head because you lost control. That is NOT going to happen again. Understood?”

“… yes, Sir.” Piers said, knowing know what Carla had revealed to him during his capture was true. He could see just from Chris’ face how much his ‘death’ had tormented him too. There is only one way around that. Stay in control.

“Good. Because you’re gonna beat this virus. You’re gonna be fine, and you’re going to be my partner, always and forever. Fuck…..” He was chocking up, but he forced himself to stay composed. “You’re gonna be fine.” He finished with gritted teeth.

Chris was losing his composure. Where he tried to be the stern captain at the beginning, he was faltering to the lost guy in Edonia by the end. He can’t be that guy again. Not when Piers needed him.

“Chris?”

Chris answered by running his finger through Piers’ hair. That always calmed at least one of them down.

“I’m sorry.”

Chris managed a smile. Not knowing what else to say, his hand lifted Piers’ chin up as he leaned in and kissed him lightly on the lips.

“All I know, was that I lost you, but here you’re back in my arms. You could be anything, half cyborg, half BOW even, as long as you’re still yourself, I don’t care. I’ve still got you.”

“Even if…”

“Even if the whole world wants you dead or forgotten, I’m not going to give you up. Because I’m Chris Redfield, and—

“… because no one gets left behind.” Piers finished with Chris’ motto, gripping Chris’ arms as he smiled for the first time since forever.

“You’ll be fine Piers. Who knows, maybe it’s a gift? A new power?”

“Is that a hint of jealousy in your voice?”

“I don’t know? You always find a way to be the best at everything!”

Piers finally relaxed. He didn’t know how Chris was going to take it, but Chris always knew exactly how to put him at ease even if he didn’t know it. He had wondered what it’d be like meeting Chris again, but well, it seemed like they’d never left after all.

* * *

 

The intercom beeped, and Chris went over to answer it.

“You’re back.” He opened the door for Claire, Rebecca and Kaison. “Piers is up, his vision has… changed, but well I’m sure everything will check out. Right?”

“Before that.” Claire interrupted, holding Chris back and looking sternly at Piers. “Tell me what I gave you two years ago when we met at the diner.

“Claire, you’re sure this is necessary?” Chris said, glancing between the two.

“An ‘imposter Piers’ was the reason for your last heartache, Chris. I’m not about to watch another happen. Speak.” Her hand reached for a gun.

Piers looked across at Chris in silence as tension mounted in the room. He gave a little smile.

“You, really want me to tell you now?” He glanced at Chris playfully.

Chris just groaned.

Piers shrugged and continued with even thinking, “It’s a candid picture of Chris after joining S.T.A.R.S. ... He had bought you a camera with his first paycheck, one of the newest models at the time where you can just snap and go. You were obsessed for days, snapping him a surprise picture in the morning while he was doing his workout. Bicep curls. Shirtless.”

He paused to lick his lips, ignoring the stern gaze of his Captain as he continued. “There were bodybuilding magazines on the floor, a Queen poster on the wall and hmm, well Chris was in a pair of tight green shorts, and I do mean tight—“

“Woah woah there that’s enough, alright?” Chris gave Piers a playful punch as Rebecca held her stomach in laughter with Claire.

“I should have burned that picture.” Chris said as he popped his knuckles.

Rebecca was shaking her head. “Oh I’ve _got_ to see this! Chris Redfield, Alpha team’s studly point man as a young rookie!”

Piers smiled smugly “Well I did have a picture of it on my phone before, well you know.”

“You phone’s still in Chris’ room.” Claire said, with a mischievous smile. “I see you have indeed made good acquaintance with my little gift!”

It was Piers turn to be embarrassed now. It was a past time of his to scrutinise over every small detail on each picture of Chris he had managed to get his hands on.

“So, do I pass now? I’m the real Piers.” He leaned back in Chris’ arms.

“One more thing.” Claire said, lowering her voice a little.

“Promise me you’ll take care of yourself as much as you care for my brother.”

“…” Piers blinked slowly. Claire’s tone was dead serious. This was one of those special promises.

“I promise.” He said, looking into Chris’ eyes.

Being uncomfortable with all the attention, Chris turned to Rebecca and Kaison. “Right, shall we begin?”

Piers didn’t know where to look, or what expression to put on as Rebecca sat close, large beautiful brown eyes honed onto Piers’ own as she examined Piers’ irises with a torch and went through a systematic checklist of movements. They just never seemed to end. Worse still he wasn’t sure half the time whether there was a correct answer to begin with.

“Hmmm” Rebecca rubbed her chin thoughtfully. “Everything checks out, the reflexes to light, fine muscle movement. His vision is perfect, almost too good for his age.”

Piers blinked as he let out a breath of relief.

“Now do that… thing you did before.” Chris squeezed his hand.

He took a deep breath again and told his right eye to activate. After a moment, he could ‘see’ into the room even without opening his eyes.

He slowly opened them, hoping the room won’t freak out again.

He could see Rebecca’s pupil dilate almost in slow motion as she leaned closer to examine him. Kaison’s brows were knitted ever so slightly more. Chris’ face was of concern, but more out of his state of being than what he’d become. Claire was simply amused. There almost seemed to be jealousy or admiration in her eyes. All at once he was reading these finer details he might have missed before. He also noticed how scruffy Chris’ boots were, in contrast to the unusually clean floor, and even each strand of Rebecca’s hair in the room’s soft lighting.

Rebecca went through the checklist again, and got very strange answers.

“What do you see?”

“A number of things. Firstly almost a heat map, like I was using night vision glasses, I could see IR beams from the instruments. The heat glow from the monitors. I can also pick out shapes and edges a lot more clearly, if I wanted to. Like the details of a piece of fabric, I can see how the threads are woven together and where the defects are….”

He hoped he wasn’t freaking them out, so he turned his gaze outside. “That tree down there, it’s perhaps 300 meters out, but I can somehow filter down to its details and pick out a leaf and tell you the number of bugs on it, but there’s so much I’m seeing it hurts trying to analyse everything… ahhh!”

He placed a hand over his eye in an effort to block out the exertion from seeing too much at once.

“Maybe we need instruments. We have an optometrist setup here?” Rebecca said.

“Probably best to try a shop.” Claire shrugged.

“You know, that to me sounds like you can see exactly what a sniper would want to see.” Kaison finally broke his silence.

It struck Piers too after a moment. “Yes! That’s it! I could ‘zoom in’ to details if I wanted, and I couldn’t do it very well, but I think I can narrow right down to one target. The shapes and lines help to spot incongruities and features. The heat map helps pick out living objects…”

“When did this start?” Rebecca asked.

Piers squeezed his eyes shut and tried to think. Chris was rubbing his head slowly, hoping to help ease the strain he have been feeling.

“It was the night of the BSAA invasion. I was playing hide and seek with the Illuzjia. It was invisible…”

“Like an invisible Yawn, that big snake at the Spencer Mansion—“ Chris added, looking at Rebecca, who placed a hand over her mouth and seemed a little taken aback.

“Yeah, it was dragging me out, and then it hid, and I told myself I had to see it to kill it. I need to see it, and somehow started being able to pick it out from its camouflage. Like it just suddenly materialised when it was still perfectly hidden.”

“Did you eye change colour then?” Chris asked, then realised how stupid his question was when Piers rolled his eyes at him.

“I hadn’t seen myself again since that night, until just now.” Piers sad, somewhat regretfully.

“Maybe his proximity to BOWs was converting him- is the virus airbourne? Was he becoming sensitive?” Rebecca said, fingers rubbing at her hairline on her forehead.

“Look. What if it’s not something bad? What if it’s something the virus gave Piers to help him? Think about it! He needed it at the time, he told his own eye to activate. His life was in danger, just as it was when his arm got crushed and he needed to save Chris…” Kaison said, oblivious to the pain that he was probably bringing up again. Piers clutched his right arm protectively in reflex and shrank in the bedding.

“Right. You’re saying each time Piers is in mortal danger his body finds ways to defend himself?” Claire added, trying to help both parties. “Well, uhh, T-phobos was a little like that, provided you could get over the fear. Neil said it was power, or something like that. Or was that Uroborus?

“Exactly!” Kaison said, swinging his notepad in excitement. “Piers is the host of the enhanced C-virus. It’s made it his home and stopped attacked him. I’ve mentioned before about my theory that the enhanced C-virus is for the host’s augmentation, directing its power as the host sees fit. The new visual power fits this theory perfectly.”

“So you’re saying it’s not a sign of the virus taking over?” Chris asked, hoping for a positive answer.

“If it was it wouldn’t be uh…switchable? Activatable? Oh…I mean reversible.” Kaison said, finally finding the right word.

“You mean his arm is reversible too?” Chris squinted. Piers turned white and shook his head. Those grasshopper legs and bee-heads were not savoury images.

“We’re _not_ going there.” He said defiantly.

“Shit no, I…” Chris supported him, apologising.

“Anyway,” Rebecca interrupted, looking at her watch. “Piers still needs rest. I’d say he still needs to get used to the new power, and handling it. Perhaps some training would help. Doing what he does best.” She nodded to Chris, gesturing a gun with her hand.

“Right.” Chris said. “Can we, uh… get another bed in here?”

Claire pressed a palm to her forehead. “Well yeah you damn near crushed our patients’ ribs in when you slept.”

Rebecca eyed the machines monitoring Piers’ vitals.

“How about we just get you two back to your suite. I’ll page the nurses.” She checked her comms.

“Jill knows you’re up. She’ll check up on you in the morning and sends her regards.” Claire added.

* * *

 

Though they were still deathly tired, neither Piers nor Chris wanted to sleep as they finally shared the bed again. Claire, being ever used to her brothers’ mindlessness had managed to get the room back to a state fit of inhabitation and dressed the bed with a practiced precision, then bid them goodnight with a kiss to their cheeks.

“You should sleep Chris. I’m not going anywhere. Wouldn’t want to, nor could I if I wanted.” Piers said weakly.

Chris stared transfixed into Piers’ hazel eyes. “I never knew you had such long eyelashes.”

“Not always a good thing I tell you. I hated glasses, and always had to clean the scope when I wasn’t used to holding my eye far enough away from them.”

“Yeah well I’m sure half the girls out there would kill for those problems.” Chris said tiredly, his arms wrapped tightly around his lieutenant.

“Yeah, well, it’s your problem now.” Piers said, his gaze defocusing as he tried not to sleep.

“Hmm?” Chris asked.

“Because you’ll fight them off me. You’re my Captain. My partner, right?”

Chris answered with a half snore.

“Right. Expected as much from ya.” Piers sighed and gave a little smile. Luckily for him, he managed to fall asleep right before the snoring got unbearable, though the observant might say both were snoring heavily that night, entwined in each other’s arms.

* * *

 

**Here In Your Arms**

Here, in your arms, I was lost but now I’m found  
Here in your arms, I am safe, I belong to a heart next to mine.  
For the first time tonight, I won’t wake not knowing where I’ll be  
When you and I, here and now, can stay this way through thick and thin

  
I’ve made it through the rain  
I’ve made it through the storm  
In every hour apart how I’ve longed for you.  
I care not for the pain  
I care not for my failures  
The thought of losing you was what I could not endure  
It’s you who gave me strength  
It’s you who gave me purpose  
In everything I do I’d do it all for you  
The pain’s now in the past, when your arms hold the future  
There’s nothing else to want when I am here in your arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here In You Arms- Music and Lyrics by TheoSymphany 2016. Written just for this chapter.

**Author's Note:**

> Follow writing updates, Nivanfield banter and other RE related posts on [my tumblr](http://theosymphany.tumblr.com/).


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